Chernobyl drone strikes: Containment efforts keep radiation safe
Rescuers from Ukraine's State Emergency Service (DSNS) are dealing with the consequences of drone attacks on the Chernobyl power plant. Three small fires on the roof of the sarcophagus covering the reactor destroyed in 1986 are being put out, the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyiv reported on Monday. The statement added that radiation levels at the plant site remain within acceptable limits.
Rescuers from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS) are working diligently to mitigate the effects of the Russian drone attack on the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl. Three small fires have broken out on the roof of the sarcophagus covering the reactor that was destroyed in 1986.
Situation under control
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine reported that three groups of climbers have partially opened the shelter's structures and are extinguishing the fires in the insulation material on the roof. The situation and air quality are being monitored using drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras. The ministry assures that radiation levels at the plant remain within safe limits.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that a Russian attack drone struck the sarcophagus over the reactor during the night of 13 to 14 February. The new sarcophagus, which was commissioned in 2019, cost 1.5 billion euros and was co-financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The Chernobyl disaster happened on 26 April 1986 when the explosion of the fourth reactor led to the contamination of parts of Ukraine and Belarus. Radioactive substances also reached Scandinavia, Central Europe, and Southern Europe.
Work on the new sarcophagus was completed in 2016, involving 10,000 workers from over 30 countries. Currently, the situation in Chernobyl is under control, and the efforts of the rescuers aim to ensure safety and minimise the effects of the attack.
