Drone strike reported at nuclear fuel storage facility near Chernobyl
Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday that a Russian drone struck a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, raising renewed concerns over nuclear safety in the ongoing conflict.
According to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces and the State Nuclear Regulatory Agency, the drone hit a facility used for storing spent nuclear fuel in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Officials confirmed that radiation levels at the site remained stable and no injuries were reported following the incident.
Authorities stated that emergency crews responded quickly to contain the situation, and preliminary assessments indicated no release of radioactive material. The facility is part of Ukraine’s broader nuclear waste management system and is located in a highly controlled zone near the site of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Ukrainian officials condemned the strike as part of continued risks posed to critical infrastructure during the war, warning that repeated attacks near nuclear sites increase the potential for environmental and safety hazards, according to news reports.
Russia has not issued an official comment on the reported incident.
The development comes amid repeated warnings from international watchdogs, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), about the dangers of military activity near nuclear facilities in Ukraine. The agency has consistently urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint to prevent any risk of a radiological emergency.
Despite the strike, Ukrainian authorities reiterated that monitoring systems showed no abnormal radiation levels and that the situation at the site remained under control.
