International

Explosion at Chernobyl's protective shield sparks global security concerns

An explosion, followed by a fire, took place at the new protective shield around Reactor 4 at the former Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, as reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Radiation levels, both inside and outside the facility, remain stable, and the agency continues to monitor the situation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Russian drones hit the radiation protection shield at the former Chernobyl plant on the night between Thursday and Friday.

The strike damaged the shelter, but the fire was put out, and radiation levels remained stable, as reported by the president. Monitoring efforts continue to assess any potential risks, according to The Kyiv Independent.

“This is a terrorist threat to the entire world,” said Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that the damage to the shelter is substantial. Zelensky stated that the attack underscores Russia’s continued disregard for global security.

“Russia continues to expand its military and shows no sign of changing its disturbed, inhuman rhetoric. This means that Putin is certainly not preparing for negotiations – he is preparing to keep deceiving the world,” he said.

Chernobyl, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, remains an incredibly sensitive location. The reactor explosion at the power plant on April 26, 1986, contaminated a vast area extending across Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

The Chernobyl plant, situated about 130 kilometers north of Kyiv, was temporarily occupied by Russian forces during the early days of the full-scale invasion. They took the station’s staff hostage, creating serious nuclear safety risks.

On March 31, 2022, Russian troops pulled back from the station. During the occupation, increased radiation levels were recorded due to the movement of heavy machinery, which stirred up contaminated dust.

Russia attacked the plant's protective shelter on the very day the Munich Security Conference was being held. Zelensky is leading the Ukrainian delegation at the conference, where former U.S. President Donald Trump’s team is expected to present their diplomatic strategy to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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