A Russian drone struck a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel near Ukraine's disused Chornobyl power plant, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday, adding that radiation levels at the site remained stable.
Details of the Attack
In separate statements, Kyiv's General Staff and the state atomic agency said a container-receiving building had been partially destroyed, but that no spent fuel had been stored there at the time of the attack. A resulting fire was extinguished, and no injuries were reported.
Location and Response
The facility is located approximately 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Chornobyl plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986. Russia has not publicly commented on the alleged attack.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strike, stating, "This is not the first time Russian forces are putting Ukrainian nuclear facilities at risk. Russia's nuclear blackmail and threats to nuclear safety are systemic, deliberate, and unacceptable."
Previous Incidents
In February 2025, a Russian attack drone damaged a containment arch over the Chornobyl reactor that was destroyed in the April 1986 explosion and meltdown. Russia denied responsibility for that incident.
Ongoing Nuclear Risks
Kyiv and Moscow have also traded accusations of attacking the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine, which is Europe's largest nuclear facility. The international community has repeatedly raised concerns about the safety of nuclear sites amid the ongoing war.
