Overview
- An IAEA inspection last week confirmed the steel shelter over Reactor 4 no longer provides effective confinement, with no permanent damage found to load-bearing supports or monitoring systems.
- Radiation levels remain normal with no reported releases, and earlier emergency repairs followed a strike that opened an estimated 15-square-meter hole and sparked a fire.
- The agency says complete restoration is essential to prevent further deterioration and to secure long-term nuclear safety, with its experts continuing on-site support.
- Ukrainian authorities blame a Russian drone for the early‑2025 damage and Moscow denies responsibility, as UN reporting notes the impact to the outer roof.
- Engineers estimate full repairs could cost at least tens of millions of dollars and potentially hundreds of millions, with funding discussions under way including a €10 million pledge from France.