Drone-damaged Chernobyl facility's shield can't confine radiation

The New Safe Confinement (NSC) facility at Chernobyl, designed to contain radiation from the 1986 nuclear disaster site, was damaged by a drone strike in February 2025. Although the strike was likely accidental, the drone carried a high-explosive warhead that created a hole in the NSC’s structure, ignited a fire, and damaged its protective cladding. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that this damage compromises the NSC’s ability to fully contain radiation, as the facility’s airtight seal and weatherproofing have been weakened. While no increase in local radiation levels or release has been detected since the incident, the IAEA stresses the urgent need for comprehensive repairs to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety. Constructed between 2016 and 2019 at a cost of approximately €1.5 billion, the NSC is the largest movable land structure in the world and was intended to last at least 100 years