A reported Russian drone has struck the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine, and videos of the explosion have spread on social media.
A post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by OSINTtechnical, an account that posts about the Russia-Ukraine war, shows a video of the explosion following the drone strike at the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement (NSC) site.
Footage of what Ukraine reports was a Russian attack drone hitting the Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant early this morning. The drone was coming from the Northeast (Russian/Belarusian territory). pic.twitter.com/uOzWO0Qvb2
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 14, 2025
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Russia’s strike on the NSC site in Chernobyl could have had ramifications that would last years beyond the war, amid fears that deadly radiation and toxic materials could have been released from the site as a result of the strike.
The drone strike on the facility in northern Ukraine demonstrated that the conflict was still in full swing despite speculation about an imminent ceasefire agreement following Donald Trump‘s talks with Putin and Zelensky.
What To Know
In the post on X, OSINTtechnical said that the drone “was coming from the Northeast (Russian/Belarusian territory).” In a second post, the account shows another video of the aftermath of the Russian drone strike on the facility in Ukraine and wrote that “The outer skin of the NSC unit appears to have been breached, and there is damage inside the unit.”
Damage and aftermath as filmed by Ukrainian personnel.The outer skin of the NSC unit appears to have been breached. Part of the Russian drone traveled into the unit. pic.twitter.com/heRbRlknxB
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 14, 2025
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the overnight drone strike on the Chernobyl NSC site in a post on X.
The nuclear watchdog reported that its team heard an explosion after a UAV struck the roof of the NSC site, causing a fire. The IAEA added that fire safety personnel and vehicles responded within minutes, and that there were no casualties. It added that “at this moment, there is no indication of a breach in the NSC’s inner containment.”
The NSC is a structure that was put in place in 2016 to protect the remains of the fourth reactor of what once was the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and it is meant to prevent the release of contaminated material, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The NSC has a span of 257 meters (approximately 843 feet) and a lifetime of a minimum of 100 years.
The reactor meltdown in April 1986 sparked the world’s greatest nuclear disaster, and to this day Chernobyl is surrounded by “some of the most polluted territory on Earth,” Thom Davies, an associate professor of Geography at the School of Geography at the University Nottingham, previously told Newsweek.
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X: “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, together with America – all those committed to real security for humanity. The only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences is today’s Russia. This is a terrorist threat to the entire world. The shelter at the Chornobyl NPP was damaged by this drone. The fire has been extinguished. As of now, radiation levels have not increased and are being constantly monitored. According to initial assessments, the damage to the shelter is significant.”
“Every night, Russia carries out such attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and cities. Russia continues to expand its army and shows no change in its deranged, anti-human state rhetoric. This means that Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations — he is preparing to continue deceiving the world. That is why there must be unified pressure from all who value life – pressure on the aggressor. Russia must be held accountable for its actions.”
Adam Blazowski, a software engineer, wrote on X: “Russia has just hit Chernobyl sarcophagus with a drone. The worst outcome out of this is the following: the West getting scared out of its wits and giving Putin what he wants, all for a promise he will never ever do that again.”
Speaking about the explosion at Chernobyl and recent increased military activity around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the IAEA’s post on X said Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi remarked: “There is no room for complacency, and the IAEA remains on high alert.”
What Happens Next
Russia’s strike on the structure in Chernobyl are likely to further complicate the the backdrop of the planned peace negotiations between Washington, Moscow and Kyiv, with other world leaders including Trump and Putin yet to react to the reports of the attack on the nuclear site.
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