A drone armed with a warhead struck the outer shell of Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear plant on Friday, causing a fire and breaching the structure. However, radiation levels at the site remain normal according to the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA stated that the strike did not breach the plant’s inner containment shell.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by Russia, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blaming Moscow for the incident. The Kremlin has denied responsibility, claiming it was a “false flag” operation staged by Ukraine.
Fighting around nuclear power plants has raised fears of a nuclear catastrophe during the ongoing war in Ukraine. Despite this, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is Europe’s largest, has been hit by drones without causing significant damage.
The incident occurred as Ukraine is being pushed back by Russia’s larger army along parts of the front line and is seeking more Western help. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said a Russian drone with a high-explosive warhead hit the plant’s outer shell and started a fire, which has been put out. The Ukrainian Emergency Service provided a photograph showing a hole in the roof of the outer shield.
There was “no immediate danger” to the facility or risk of radioactive leaks, according to Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Kyiv-based Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also denied Russia’s involvement, stating that their military does not engage in such activities.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-chernobyl-zelenskyy-71d781dbd66754d0a548edd388f3447a