CNN

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced that a Russian drone struck the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on Thursday night.

Later, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service confirmed that the radiation levels remain within acceptable boundaries.

Zelensky stated on the social media platform X, “A Russian attack drone equipped with a high-explosive warhead targeted the shelter safeguarding the world from radiation at the destroyed fourth reactor unit.”

He further noted that the protective concrete structure sustained damage, but firefighters were able to extinguish a subsequent fire. “Radiation levels remain stable and are continuously monitored. Initial evaluations indicate considerable damage to the shelter,” Zelensky remarked.

A video shared by Zelensky on X depicted a bright flash emerging from a large structure, followed by a plume of smoke rising into the night sky.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on X that shortly before 2 a.m. local time, their team at Chernobyl “heard an explosion originating from the New Safe Confinement, which shields Reactor 4, leading to a fire.”

“They were notified that a drone had hit the roof of the NSC,” the IAEA added.

Unit 4 at Chernobyl, located near the Belarusian border, exploded in 1986, releasing significant amounts of radioactivity across much of the Soviet Union and Europe. Subsequently, it was enclosed in a robust concrete and steel structure.

This containment structure, an international effort, took decades to complete and was finalized in 2017, weighing 35,000 tonnes.

On the same night, the Ukrainian military reported that Russia launched a total of 133 drones aimed at Ukraine, with 73 being intercepted and 58 failing to reach their targets. These figures align closely with recent trends in drone assaults. Drones were reportedly brought down in 11 regions across the country.

In his statement, Zelensky emphasized that the ongoing nightly drone strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure signify that Russian President Vladimir Putin “is certainly not inclined to engage in negotiations — rather, he is gearing up to continue misleading the global community.”

This article is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.