Rescuers have been eliminating the consequences of the drone attack on Chornobyl NPP for six days: video
19 February 13:32
The cleanup of the aftermath of a Russian drone hitting the sarcophagus at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant continues. Rescuers have been extinguishing the smoldering for six days. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi with reference to the State Emergency Service.
As a reminder, a Russian drone attacked the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, causing a fire on the territory of the Shelter, a special structure built over the destroyed fourth power unit after the 1986 accident. The impact caused damage to the structures of the shelter, which led to a localized fire.
Current situation and response measures
According to the State Emergency Service, rescuers are working at the plant:
- Extinguish smoldering areas to prevent further spread of the fire.
- Opening the shelter structures to assess the damage and provide access to the affected areas.
- Monitor radiation levels to avoid possible threats to personnel and the environment.
The radiation background at the Chornobyl NPP site does not exceed the norm.
The situation is under control. The work continues.
The day before, the government allocated more than UAH 1.5 billion to maintain the safe condition of the Chornobyl NPP shelter. Thus, the government increased funding by 139 million compared to 2024.
Radiation monitoring and safety
The radiation background in the Chornobyl NPP control zone does not exceed the permissible values and is within normal limits. All changes are monitored in real time. Data on the radiation situation is available to the public on the web resource of the Ministry of Environment “EcoThreat”.
Russian strike on the Chornobyl sarcophagus
On February 14, a Russian attack drone with an explosive warhead hit the shelter that protects the world from radiation from the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
on February 16, representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency inspected the Chernobyl nuclear power plant’s shelter. During the inspection, the IAEA team noted that the outer and inner shells of the arch had been damaged by a drone attack. A hole with a diameter of about 6 meters was formed there, and some equipment and electrical cables were also damaged. However, the support beams were not significantly damaged.
Repairs are expected to begin when the fire is completely out.
Follow us on Telegram: the main news in a nutshell
What is known about the Chornobyl sarcophagus
As a reminder, the sarcophagus built over the exploded fourth power unit was gradually collapsing, which could have led to a catastrophe. In March 2004, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced a tender for the design, construction and commissioning of a new sarcophagus for the Chornobyl NPP.
The main function of the new arch is to limit the spread of radioactive substances contained in the Shelter. This condition must be met both in normal operation and in the event of an accident (destruction) of the existing Shelter. The project envisages that the new structure will be operated for 100 years.
The new sarcophagus at the Chornobyl NPP was built by about 3,000 workers starting in April 2012. The builders worked in shifts to avoid exceeding the permissible radiation dose. Almost three billion dollars were allocated for its construction by the European Union and the United States. The new sarcophagus was put into operation in July 2019.
