IAEA deploys additional mission to Chernobyl to assess impact of Russian strike

This was stated in a statement by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, Ukrinform reports.

“The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has deployed additional staff to Ukraine’s Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) this week to conduct a comprehensive safety assessment of the damaged New Safe Confinement (NSC) following a drone strike last February,” the statement said.

It is noted that at the request of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), staff from the IAEA's Department of Nuclear Safety and Security joined the IAEA's permanent support and assistance mission at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which has been operating continuously at the site since January 2023. Their goal is to assess the current condition and operational status of the NSC after the attack on February 14, 2025.

"The NSC, completed in 2016, is a protective structure built to enclose the Shelter Object, which itself covers the remains of Unit 4 that was destroyed in the 1986 accident. While February’s drone strike did not lead to any release of radioactive material, it caused significant structural damage, affecting the NSC’s designed confinement function and projected lifetime," the IAEA said.

During the mission, the agency's team will assess existing risk mitigation measures and discuss the station's plans to restore the functionality of the containment and respond to potential nuclear safety issues.

As reported by Ukrinform, on the night of February 14, a Russian strike drone with a high-explosive warhead hit the shelter over the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Photo: www.chnpp.gov.ua