Particle.news
Download on the App Store

IAEA: Chornobyl’s New Confinement Has Lost Primary Safety Functions After Drone Strike

Planned 2026 EBRD-backed repairs aim to temporarily restore containment pending full postwar restoration.

Overview

  • An IAEA inspection completed last week found the New Safe Confinement no longer provides confinement, though load-bearing structures and monitoring systems show no permanent damage.
  • Radiation levels remained stable after the February strike, and limited roof repairs were carried out immediately afterward.
  • The agency urged timely, comprehensive restoration and recommended tighter humidity control, updated corrosion monitoring, and upgrades to the original sarcophagus monitoring system.
  • Ukrainian authorities blame a Russian drone for the February hit that caused a fire and cladding damage, and Moscow denies responsibility.
  • Additional temporary works to restore the enclosure’s confinement are scheduled in 2026 with EBRD support, and IAEA experts are also assessing more than ten key electrical substations through Dec. 12.