The International Agency for Atomic Energy (OIEA) has confirmed this Friday the Impact of a drone on the protection sarcophagus of the Chernobil nuclear power plant reactor, located in northern Ukraine and that in 1986 suffered one of the worst nuclear accidents in history. The agency has indicated in a statement published in its account on the social network X that the event has taken place around 1.50 hours (local time), when the drone has hit the roof of the protection sarcophagus, “causing a fire “, but without causing victims.
“Fire and vehicle security personnel responded in minutes. At the moment there are no indications of the fissure in the interior containment of the protection sarcophagus,” he said, before highlighting that “Radiation levels inside and outside are normal and stable” Rafael Grossihe stressed that the incident in Chernobyl and the recent increase in “military activity” around the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe and under Russian control in the framework of the invasion, represent “risks of persistent nuclear” . “There is no space to be complacent and the OIEA is still on alert,” he has settled.
For his part, the president of Ukraine, Volodimir ZelenskiHe has directly accused Russia of the drone attack against the facilities and has affirmed that “a Russian attack drone with a highly explosive head hit the sarcophagus that protects the world from radiation in the destroyed fourth reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant” . A version that the Kremlin has denied, disconnecting from any responsibility for the attack.
Just a few hours earlier, the prorous authorities installed in the area of the Ukrainian province of Zaporiyia Occupied by Moscow’s troops, they had denounced “critical damage” in equipment of the Zaporiyia thermal plant because of an artillery attack launched by the Ukraine army.
These events take place two days after kyiv and Moscow exchanged accusations around suspension of a rotation of OIEA personnel at the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant. Grossi confirmed that the rotation was canceled because of the “intense military activity” in the area, “despite the written guarantees received by both parties on which the planned rotation would take place in a security context.”
The central nuclear de Zaporiyialocated in southern Ukraine, it was the scene of clashes during the first bars of the war in Ukraine and a few weeks later fell into the hands of Moscow, which in collaboration with kyiv allows OIEA experts to enter the facilities to guarantee their safety.
