The International Atomic Energy Agency has warned that the protection structure of the damaged Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine is not working as it should after the military attack on it last February.
The UN nuclear agency said in a statement issued last night that although the latest inspection found no permanent damage to the structure or monitoring systems, IAEA experts confirmed that it had “lost key safety functions, including its capacity for confinement.”
Chernobyl, where one of the worst nuclear accidents in history occurred in 1986, was attacked last February by explosive drones that caused damage to the outer structures of the so-called “New Secure Confinement” (NSC) although they did not cause a radiation leak.
The attack, which Ukraine and Russia blamed on each other, caused a major fire in the outer cladding of the massive steel structure built to prevent any radioactive leakage from the reactor, which was destroyed in 1986.
“Limited temporary repairs have been made to the surface, but full and timely restoration remains essential to prevent further deterioration and ensure long-term nuclear safety,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in the memo.
The IAEA recommends continued restoration and protection work on the NSC structure, including moisture control measures and an updated corrosion monitoring programme.
In addition, the integrated automatic monitoring system of the shelter body built above the reactor immediately after the accident, which occurred almost four decades ago about 120 kilometers north of Kiev, had to be updated.
Additional temporary reforms are planned for 2026 – with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) – to support the re-establishment of the NSC’s confinement function, paving the way for its full restoration once the war is over.
Russian forces temporarily occupied the Chernobyl zone at the beginning of the war, but it has remained under the control of Ukrainian authorities since then.
“The IAEA – which has a permanent team on site – will continue to do everything in its power to support efforts to fully restore nuclear safety and security at Chernobyl,” Grossi concluded in the statement.