A Russian drone strike in February 2025 has compromised the Chornobyl New Safe Confinement (NSC), the massive steel structure designed to shield the world from the ruins of the reactor No 4 explosion.
- Critical Damage: A 15-square-metre hole was punched through the structure, destroying the confinement and humidity control systems.
- Environmental Risk: A collapse of the inner sarcophagus could release over 100 tonnes of nuclear fuel into the air.
- Repair Costs: Experts estimate repairs will cost up to €500 million (£432 million) and must be completed within four years.
On February 14, 2025, a Russian Geran-2 drone struck the north-west face of the arch approximately 85 metres above the ground. The blast was powerful enough to trigger the structure’s earthquake monitoring system.
The strike ignited a rubber sealing membrane within the roof, causing deep-seated fires that smouldered for three weeks. To extinguish the hotspots, teams were forced to cut 332 holes into the outer wall to reach the interior with water hoses.
Impact on the Chornobyl New Safe Confinement
The NSC, completed in 2019 at a cost of $2.5 billion, was designed to protect the unstable 1986 “sarcophagus” while it is dismantled over several decades. However, officials say the drone strike destroyed the structure’s main functions.
According to Eric Schmieman, an engineer who led the conceptual design of the arch, the strike compromised the confinement function and the humidity control system. The latter is essential for preventing the steel structure from corroding.
The inner sarcophagus, built in 206 days following the 1986 disaster, was designed to last 20 years but has now stood for 40. It currently traps 180 tonnes of nuclear fuel and four to five tonnes of radioactive dust.
Repair Challenges and Radiation Risks
Ukrainian officials and Western experts warn that if the NSC is not fully repaired within four years, its intended 100-year lifespan can no longer be guaranteed.
Repairs are complicated by extreme radiation levels directly above the damaged section. Workers can legally spend no more than 20 hours per year in that zone before reaching their annual dose limit.
Plant Director General Serhii Tarakanov stated that repairs would require roughly 100 qualified construction workers operating in short rotations, sometimes for only a few minutes at a time, on the contaminated curved surface.
Ongoing Threats to the Site
The facility remains under constant threat as Russia continues to launch drones and missiles along flight paths near the plant. Since October 2024, the plant has experienced four total blackouts caused by strikes on the electricity grid, requiring the use of emergency diesel generators to cool spent fuel.
The site has faced repeated instability since the 2022 Russian invasion, during which the plant became an active military zone. Russian forces previously dug trenches near the “red forest,” one of the most radioactive areas in the exclusion zone.
On the 40th anniversary of the original disaster, plant officials continue to call for international support to prevent a new nuclear incident.
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