The protective shield built around the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site in Ukraine can no longer do its job to confine radioactive waste as a result of a drone strike earlier this year, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The New Safe Confinement (NSC) at Chernobyl, which was “severely damaged” by the drone strike in February, has “lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability,” the IAEA said in a Friday statement.
Ukraine accused Russia of carrying out the February 14 strike at Chernobyl, which the Kremlin denied.
The strike hit the NSC, sparking a fire and damaging the protective cladding around it, the IAEA said.
The nuclear watchdog has recommended a major renovation of the huge steel structure, which was put into place several years ago to enable clean-up operations and ensure the site’s safety nearly four decades on from the worst nuclear power plant accident in history.
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