The UN’s nuclear watchdog has confirmed that the protective shield covering the ruined Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has “lost its primary safety function” after being damaged in a drone strike earlier this year, the BBC reports. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the massive steel arch known as the New Safe Confinement—built to contain radioactive remains from the 1986 disaster—can no longer guarantee the essential confinement it was designed to provide.
The strike, which occurred on 14 February, caused a fire and tore through external cladding, compromising the structure’s ability to keep radioactive dust and particles sealed inside. While the IAEA said the arch’s main load-bearing frames and internal systems remain intact, the damage to its protective layers has undermined the integrity of the entire shelter. The watchdog made clear that temporary patching is not enough, warning that the shield must undergo significant and urgent repairs before winter weather and continued conflict further weaken it.
The New Safe Confinement was engineered to last at least a century and to facilitate the eventual dismantling of the crumbling Soviet-era sarcophagus beneath it. Its compromised condition now raises profound concerns about those long-term plans. Although no increase in radiation levels has been detected so far, experts stress that the loss of full containment elevates the risk of radioactive material escaping into the environment—particularly if additional attacks or structural degradation occur.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of nuclear sites in active war zones. The NSC was designed to withstand earthquakes, storms and corrosion, but not targeted military strikes. The IAEA has urged international partners to support comprehensive restoration efforts, cautioning that delays could leave the region exposed to new dangers. For now, radiation readings remain stable, yet the agency’s findings underline that the world has avoided immediate disaster largely by chance, and that the Chernobyl shelter must be fully restored to prevent a future one.
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