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At 2:02 am tonight, the deserted Chernobyl Nuclear Plant was struck by a drone, which Ukraine claims was Russian, damaging a cover intended to stop the radiation from the 1986 nuclear disaster. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said, "This is a terrorist threat to the entire world."
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched over 100 drones across the country - including attack drones over the northern region of the country which includes Chernobyl.
"Last night, a Russian attack drone with a high-explosive warhead struck the shelter protecting the world from radiation at the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant," Zelensky said, sharing a video of the drone attack.
Last night, a Russian attack drone with a high-explosive warhead struck the shelter protecting the world from radiation at the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
This shelter was built by Ukraine together with other countries of Europe and the world,… pic.twitter.com/mLTGeDYgPT
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 14, 2025
A CCTV camera facing the fourth power unit showed the radiation cover being struck "by a drone," resulting in a massive explosion. The shelter was damaged, and firefighters were dousing the flame inside the dome, visuals showed. The explosion formed a big hole in the roof.
The Ukrainian President said Russia "is the only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences." "Radiation levels have not increased and are being constantly monitored," he added.
Russia responded to Kyiv's claims and said it "does not" hit nuclear plants in Ukraine.
"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," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday, after stating that he did not have "exact information" about the reported hit on Chernobyl.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also reported an "explosion" at the site, and said "radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable."
The agency published images showing the drone on fire after crashing into the covering.
The IAEA has repeatedly warned of the dangers of fighting around nuclear plants following Russia's full-scale military offensive into Ukraine in February 2022.
In the first days of the war, Russian forces briefly seized the plant and also captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine, which it still controls.
On April 26 1986, the Number Four reactor at the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, Ukraine, went out of control during a test at low-power leading to an explosion and fire that demolished the reactor building and released large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere