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Happened as dated, per the source[1]: a Russian "Geran-2" drone struck the New Safe Confinement structure at approximately 1:50 a.m. on February 14, 2025.- Start
- Feb 14, 202590% CONFIDENCEsource
Drone strike breaches Chernobyl's New Safe Confinement
A Russian drone struck Chernobyl's €2BN New Safe Confinement shelter, tearing a hole in the roof and starting a fire that burned for weeks.
- At about 01:50 local time on 14 February 2025 a drone with a high-explosive warhead struck Chernobyl's New Safe Confinement (NSC), causing smoke and fire; Ukraine blamed Russia, which denied it, and the IAEA has not attributed blame[2][3]
- The arch was hit at about 87 m; plant operators said both external and internal cladding and Main Cranes System equipment were damaged, and the cladding fire was put out locally[3]
- Radiation levels inside and outside stayed normal and stable, with no casualties or release of radioactive substances; the IAEA saw a breach of the outer layer, and Ukraine's regulator confirmed outer cladding damage[2][3]
- The cladding breach violated the 'limits of safe operation' in NSC regulations; IAEA chief Rafael Grossi called for maximum military restraint around Ukraine's nuclear sites[2][3]
- The NSC is the largest moveable land-based structure ever built (257 m span, 108 m high, 36,000 tonnes), completed in 2019 and designed for about 100 years, covering the 1986 reactor 4 shelter[3]