The Daily Populous Sunday December 7th, 2025 night edition
Authored by theguardian.com and submitted by apple_kicks

The protective shield over the Chornobyl disaster nuclear reactor in Ukraine, which was hit by a drone in February, can no longer perform its main function of blocking radiation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced.

In February a drone strike blew a hole in the “new safe confinement”, which was painstakingly built at a cost of €1.5bn ($1.75bn) next to the destroyed reactor and then hauled into place on tracks, with the work completed in 2019 by a Europe-led initiative. The IAEA said an inspection last week of the steel confinement structure found the drone impact had degraded the structure.

The 1986 Chornobyl explosion – which happened when Ukraine was under Moscow’s rule as part of the Soviet Union – sent radiation across Europe. In the scramble to contain the meltdown, the Soviets built over the reactor a concrete “sarcophagus” with only a 30-year lifespan. The new confinement was built to contain radiation during the decades-long final removal of the sarcophagus, ruined reactor building underneath it and the melted-down nuclear fuel itself.

Graphic of Chornobyl new safe confinement explainer Graphic of Chornobyl new safe confinement explainer

The IAEA director general, Rafael Grossi, said an inspection mission “confirmed that the [protective structure] had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found that there was no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems”.

Grossi said some repairs had been carried out “but comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety”.

View image in fullscreen People inspecting the damage to the radiation containment shield of reactor 4 at the Chornobyl nuclear plant site in Ukraine in February. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

The UN reported on 14 February that Ukrainian authorities said a drone with a high explosive warhead struck the plant, caused a fire and damaged the protective cladding around the reactor. Ukrainian authorities said the drone was Russian. Moscow denied it had attacked the plant.

Radiation levels remained normal and stable and there was no reports of radiation leaks, the UN said in February.

Russia occupied the plant and the surrounding area for more than a month in the first weeks of its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine as its forces initially tried to advance on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

The IAEA had conducted the inspection at the same time as a country-wide survey of damage to electricity substations from the war between Ukraine and Russia.

BeatBoxxEternal on December 6th, 2025 at 12:11 UTC »

For anyone wondering why they don't just patch the hole and be done with it: the drone strike(s) not only caused a hole in the outer shield, but started a fire which burned the "insulating" material sandwiched beneath the outer shell and the inner shell. They can patch the hole to prevent dust and debris from being spread around, but they cannot rebuild this insulating layer without absolutely mammoth investment. Investment that a war torn Ukraine cannot spare. Investment that even Ukraine in peace time couldn't spare. This is from my poor memory but I recommend you do you're own research. The dome was designed in the 90's, built in 2011, slid over chernobyl in 2016, with work being finished in 2019. There are many videos and articles that go in depth how bleak this situation is.

BruceForsyth55 on December 6th, 2025 at 07:18 UTC »

Russia have basically become ISIS in their thinking. Their actions are beyond any form of propaganda and can’t be in anyway excused.

To hit a nuclear power plant (especially that one) with all the lessons it came with… I mean there is no other reasoning for that than madnesses of a state and its people.

Russia appear to be a lost cause and unlike NK its people can’t pretend to be fully locked away from the outside world. They know the truth but simply do not care.

Secret_Wishbone_2009 on December 6th, 2025 at 06:53 UTC »

Russia are just evil. Chernobyl was their flawed design and their fault, causing unending damage to the environment, and they purposely damage the international communities effort to keep it as safe as possible. They have such a messed up, petty mindset. I am sure there are good people in Russia, but the entire layer of leadership needs to go.