| Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant drone strike | |
|---|---|
| Part of theRussian invasion of Ukraine | |
 The explosion (left) that the strike caused | |
| Location | NearPripyat,Kyiv Oblast,Ukraine |
| Date | 14 February 2025 01:50 (EET) |
Attack type | Drone attack |
| Deaths | None |
| Injured | None |
On 14 February 2025, an unmanned aerial vehicle hit theNew Safe Confinement structure at theChernobyl Nuclear Power Plant inUkraine. The attack resulted in significant damage to the protective shelter, but did not lead to increased radiation levels in the surrounding area.[1]Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy said that a Russiancombat drone carrying a "high-explosive warhead" had struck the structure. Russia denied the allegations, instead claiming that Ukrainian officials made the claim to disrupt peace negotiations.[2][3]
The strike immediately preceded theMunich Security Conference inGermany, where theVice President of the United StatesJD Vance was scheduled to meet withUkrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy. The day prior to the strike,United States PresidentDonald Trump announced potential peace negotiations following what he described as a "highly productive" conversation withRussian PresidentVladimir Putin.[1]
In the early hours of 14 February 2025, at approximately 1:50 am local time,International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) personnel stationed at theChernobyl site reported hearing an explosion at theNew Safe Confinement facility.[1][4] The facility was constructed to prevent the release of remaining radioactivity from the site of theChernobyl disaster.[4]
Visual evidence of the strike, shared by President Zelenskyy onsocial media platformTwitter/X, depicted an intense flash of light emanating from the roof of the facility above Reactor 4, followed by a substantial column of smoke rising into the sky. Ukrainian emergency services responded promptly to extinguish the resulting fire.[1][5]
According to theSecurity Service of Ukraine (SBU), the drone that conducted the strike was aHESA Shahed 136,[6] with the SBU publishing photographs of drone fragments recovered at the site.[7] The Shahed 136 was anIranian-designed type of drone; Iran supplied such drones to Russia throughout theRussian invasion of Ukraine and its use by Russia was well-documented during the war.[8] The claim was supported by Marcel Plichta of the Centre for Global Law and Governance at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, who added that "Russia frequently uses attacks like this to regain control of the narrative".[6]Polish Foreign MinisterRadosław Sikorski[9] and theCentre for Eastern Studies (OSW) also said that a Russian Shahed drone had struck the plant.[10] So didThe New York Times in an article byKim Barker,[11] as well asLe Monde,[12]France 24[13] and theInstitute for the Study of War (ISW), attribute the strike to a Russian drone.[14]
Barbara Wiaderek and five other researchers stated that Ukraine's allegations against Russia were supported by the broader military context, as the strike took place during intensified Russian drone activity in northern Ukraine.[7] Ukraine had been attacked that same night by Russian forces with 133 Shahed drones, 73 of which were shot down, according to theUkrainian Air Force.[15] British colonelHamish de Bretton-Gordon wrote forThe Daily Telegraph that there did not appear to be any viable military targets in the vicinity of Reactor 4 and that, "from what we know", Shahed drones were highly accurate in their attacks. He stated that although the drone strike could have been deliberately aimed, it was impossible to be sure due to the attack with over 100 drones that night.[16] According toThe New York Times, citing analysis by the British consulting company McKenzie Intelligence Services, the use of aguidance system with preset coordinates of their target by Shahed drones indicated "the almost certain deliberate targeting" of the nuclear power plant by the Russian military.[14]
.jpg)
.jpg)
Following the strike, Ukrainian authorities conducted immediate assessments of the structural damage and potential radiation risks. TheState Emergency Service of Ukraine confirmed that radiation levels remained within normal parameters, though initial evaluations indicated substantial damage to the protective shelter. President Zelenskyy later shared photographic evidence purportedly showing the interior of the damaged sarcophagus.[1][17]
IAEA experts conducted a walkdown of the containment structure the following day, and observed that the fire had apparently been fuelled by inflammable material in the roof cladding. They observed that a large area had been affected, and confirmed that both the outer and inner cladding had been breached, causing a hole of about six metres diameter. The structural support beams did not appear to have suffered major damage.[18] IAEA experts also stated that the observed remains of a drone that Ukraine attributed to the strike were consistent with aShahed-type drone.[19] The IAEA has not attributed blame to either side of the conflict.[20]
Two weeks later the roof insulation was still smouldering. Thermal imaging was used to direct the injection of water to extinguish the fires, and repairs to the cladding were started.[21]
In May 2025, theUkrainian Ministry of Finance reported that the cost of restoration could surpass €100 million, exceeding the€19 million that were held in theEBRD's Chernobyl fund. TheFrench government pledged to provide an additional €10 million.[22]
In December 2025, the IAEA said that the structure could no longer perform its main safety function due to the drone strike.[23] IAEA Director GeneralRafael Grossi said "mission confirmed that the (protective structure) had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found that there was no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems".[23]
President Zelenskyy described the attack and ongoingdrone strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure as evidence that Russian leadership was not genuinely interested in diplomatic solutions, suggesting instead that such actions demonstrated an intent to "continue deceiving the world".[1] He urged the international community to institute "pressure on the aggressor", insisting that "Russia must be held accountable for its actions."[5]
The Russian government denied allegations of striking the power plant, with Kremlin spokesmanDmitry Peskov stating that "our military doesn't do that" and claiming that Ukrainian officials made the claim to disrupt peace negotiations.[2] Russian diplomatRodion Miroshnik [ru] similarly accused Kyiv of reacting "hysterically" to the start of dialogue between Putin and Trump by launching large-scale drone attacks on Russian regions.[3] Wiadereket al. noted that Russian accusations against Ukraine were not supported by any evidence and that analysis of the drone debris and flight trajectory strongly suggested Russian involvement instead.[7]
