A drone strike in February damaged the New Safe Confinement (NSC) at Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine, leaving it unable to perform its main safety functions, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

The NSC is a massive, arch-shaped steel structure at the Chernobyl site, designed to cover Reactor 4 that contains radioactive material. In 1986, an explosion at the reactor killed at least 30 people and exposed millions to radiation.

In February, Ukraine reported the strike, suspected to have been carried out by Russian forces, sparked a fire and damaged the cladding around Reactor 4.

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,… pic.twitter.com/mLTGeDYgPT

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 14, 2025

Recent inspections conducted by IAEA confirmed the structure lost its primary confinement capability. 

“Limited temporary repairs have been carried out on the roof, but timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

Grossi added that there had been no permanent damage to the NSC’s load-bearing structures or monitoring systems.

Grossi said the IAEA, which maintains a permanent presence at the site, will “continue to do everything it can to support efforts to fully restore nuclear safety and security.’”

Chernobyl has been in the spotlight more than once during Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine. Russian forces seized the nuclear plant and its surrounding area in the early days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion, overrunning it in February 2022 and holding staff hostage. 

Just over a month later, they withdrew and returned control of the plant to Ukrainian personnel.