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Ukraine·Russia·Armed Conflicts·Nuclear

Chernobyl faces catastrophic collapse risk as repairs stall after Russian drone strike

Tuesday, 14 April 2026, 12:19 · 1 min read

Greenpeace has warned that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine risks a catastrophic release of radioactivity, as critical repairs to its protective structure remain incomplete following a Russian drone strike in February 2024. The plant's €1.5 billion New Safe Confinement dome — a high-tech metal shell built in 2016 to enclose the original concrete-and-steel sarcophagus hastily erected after the 1986 disaster — lost its radiation-containment capability after the strike, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. With an estimated €500 million in repairs needed and ongoing Russian attacks hampering restoration work, experts warn that a collapse of the inner structure could release four tonnes of highly radioactive dust into the environment, with the plant's own director cautioning that a nearby rocket strike could trigger such a collapse — just days before the 40th anniversary of what remains the world's worst nuclear accident.

Sources
EuronewsChernobyl could face 'catastrophic' collapse as repairs stall following Russian drone strike ↗︎
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