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Chernobyl Shelter fails to guarantee radiation containment—IAEA
(MENAFN) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued a warning that the protective shelter covering the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant reactor is no longer capable of fully containing radiation, signaling the need for urgent, extensive repairs.
The alert comes after inspections following a February drone strike, the first major assault on the shelter. Moscow described the attack as a provocation orchestrated by Kiev, while Ukraine attributed it to Russia. The strike breached the outer shell of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) steel arch and ignited a fire. Although initial damage did not result in a radiation leak, the latest assessment indicates that the structural compromise has significantly weakened the shelter’s containment capability.
The IAEA confirmed on Friday that the NSC, a 36,000-ton steel enclosure built over the destroyed Unit 4 reactor, “had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability.” Completed in 2019 at a cost of approximately €1.5 billion (around $1.6 billion), the structure was intended to seal the original concrete “sarcophagus” erected after the 1986 disaster and contain radioactive material.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that while the shelter’s load-bearing framework and monitoring systems are still intact, “limited temporary repairs have been carried out … comprehensive restoration is urgently required.” Additional nuclear safety experts have been dispatched to Chernobyl to evaluate the full extent of the damage.
Russia has accused Ukraine of repeatedly targeting nuclear facilities, including the Zaporozhye (ZNPP) and Kursk plants, labeling the incidents as “nuclear terrorism.” A Ukrainian drone struck an auxiliary building at the Kursk NPP in late September, coinciding with a visit by IAEA chief Grossi to Moscow. Shortly before, Ukrainian artillery reportedly damaged power lines supplying the ZNPP, forcing reliance on backup generators. Russia seized control of the ZNPP in March 2022, later conducting a referendum to annex the region. Ukraine denies involvement in the Kursk incident and claims Russia has targeted the ZNPP.
In October, President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine was “playing a dangerous game” by attacking nuclear sites.
The alert comes after inspections following a February drone strike, the first major assault on the shelter. Moscow described the attack as a provocation orchestrated by Kiev, while Ukraine attributed it to Russia. The strike breached the outer shell of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) steel arch and ignited a fire. Although initial damage did not result in a radiation leak, the latest assessment indicates that the structural compromise has significantly weakened the shelter’s containment capability.
The IAEA confirmed on Friday that the NSC, a 36,000-ton steel enclosure built over the destroyed Unit 4 reactor, “had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability.” Completed in 2019 at a cost of approximately €1.5 billion (around $1.6 billion), the structure was intended to seal the original concrete “sarcophagus” erected after the 1986 disaster and contain radioactive material.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that while the shelter’s load-bearing framework and monitoring systems are still intact, “limited temporary repairs have been carried out … comprehensive restoration is urgently required.” Additional nuclear safety experts have been dispatched to Chernobyl to evaluate the full extent of the damage.
Russia has accused Ukraine of repeatedly targeting nuclear facilities, including the Zaporozhye (ZNPP) and Kursk plants, labeling the incidents as “nuclear terrorism.” A Ukrainian drone struck an auxiliary building at the Kursk NPP in late September, coinciding with a visit by IAEA chief Grossi to Moscow. Shortly before, Ukrainian artillery reportedly damaged power lines supplying the ZNPP, forcing reliance on backup generators. Russia seized control of the ZNPP in March 2022, later conducting a referendum to annex the region. Ukraine denies involvement in the Kursk incident and claims Russia has targeted the ZNPP.
In October, President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine was “playing a dangerous game” by attacking nuclear sites.
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