Rescuers are still eliminating the consequences of the Russian strike on the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) shelter on February 14 — they found three more smoldering sites there.
This was reported by the State Agency of Ukraine for Exclusion Zone Management.
Currently, three groups of climbers are partially dismantling the shelter structures and extinguishing three smoldering areas of insulation on the roof. Three groups of climbers are working at once — four people each. Rescuers from the State Emergency Service were involved in the elimination of the consequences. A total of 22 holes were made — the roof was opened by about 2 m².
Radiation indicators are normal. No release of radioactive products beyond the established limits has been recorded.
Attack on the Chornobyl shelter
On the night of February 14, a Russian strike drone with a high-explosive warhead hit a shelter at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, causing a fire. The radiation level did not increase, although the damage was significant. This shelter protects Ukraine and the world from radiation from the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.
The Kyiv Regional Prosecutorʼs Office has launched an investigation into the attack on the station by the occupiers.
The IAEA representatives were granted unrestricted access and inspected the Chornobyl NPP. They confirmed that radiation levels were normal.
A large area was affected by the Russian attack. On February 14, a Russian drone blew a hole in the roof of the New Safe Confinement — this large arch-shaped shelter covers the old sarcophagus of the fourth power unit of the Chornobyl NPP and prevents the spread of radiation outward.
The IAEA recorded that both the outer and inner shell of the arch were damaged, with a six-meter hole. Some other equipment and electrical cables were also damaged. The supporting beams were not significantly damaged. IAEA experts saw smoke coming from the roof of the New Safe Confinement.
The IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi noted that “this is particularly concerning” given the fact that military activity in the area of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has also increased. Therefore, according to Grossi, nuclear safety remains at risk.
The shelter repair was postponed due to a fire, which was fueled by the flammable roof material. The stationʼs chief engineer Oleksandr Tytarchuk previously reported that specialists would work on a shelter restoration project. According to him, this is "a matter of more than one month".
The Chornobyl NPP reported that after the fire is extinguished, additional sensors will also be installed to measure the dose rate and aerosol concentration near the attack site.
- In the first days of the full-scale war, Russian troops, who invaded Ukraine from Belarus, captured the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and took up positions in the Exclusion Zone. Despite life-threatening levels of radiation, the occupiers dug trenches in the Red Forest and, presumably, removed deadly sources of ionizing radiation from the Chornobyl laboratory. The Russians withdrew from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and the Exclusion Zone on March 31, 2022.
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