A Russian drone carrying a high-explosive warhead struck the protective containment shell of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine’s Kyiv region, as reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. The incident resulted in a fire, which was promptly extinguished. Importantly, radiation levels at the plant remained normal, and the inner containment shell was not breached.
In a social media post, Zelenskyy stated, “Last night, a Russian attack drone with a high-explosive warhead struck the cover protecting the world from radiation at the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.”
He later commented that the drone strike was flying at an altitude of 280 feet, thus being undetectable by radar.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that its team at the site heard an explosion and were informed about the drone strike. However, the IAEA did not assign blame for the incident.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Ukraine’s allegations, stating that Russian military forces do not target nuclear infrastructure. “There is no question of any strikes on such nuclear infrastructure sites…Any claims that this was the case do not correspond to reality. The Russian military does not do this.”
This event occurred shortly after President Donald Trump announced plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the ongoing conflict. The proposed meeting has raised concerns about potentially sidelining Ukrainian leadership and European governments in peace negotiations.
The international community continues to monitor the situation closely, given the historical significance of Chernobyl and the potential risks associated with military activities near nuclear facilities.
