The Russian attack on the Chernobyl sarcophagus was deliberate – Prosecutor General

An investigation by Ukrainian prosecutors has concluded that the Russian drone’s strike on the containment structure of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant’s Unit 4 was a deliberate act. 

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced this in an interview with Reuters. The conclusions are based on an analysis of the angle at which the drone struck the arch of the outer shell of the containment structure, indicating that it was moving along a pre-programmed route toward a specific target point.

According to the investigation, on February 14, 2025, a Shahed-type strike UAV damaged the outer shell of the new safe confinement and equipment in the technical garage. Despite the fire, no increase in radiation levels was recorded, and there were no casualties among the staff. Kravchenko emphasized that the Russian military systematically uses the Chernobyl zone as a route to bypass Ukrainian air defense, posing a threat to nuclear facilities.

Prosecutors have documented 35 "Kinzhal" missile flights within a 20-kilometer radius of the Chernobyl and Khmelnitsky nuclear power plants. Such actions by the aggressor have no military purpose and are carried out solely for the purpose of nuclear terror and intimidation of the population. The Office of the Prosecutor General continues to gather evidence as part of criminal proceedings to hold the Russian Federation accountable for attacks on critical infrastructure.

Chernobyl NPP Director General Serhiy Tarakanov openly stated that the new safe confinement may not withstand another strike. “If a Russian missile hits the sarcophagus or even lands nearby, the protective structure could collapse,” he noted.

Ukraine has received the first official confirmations from foreign partners regarding funding for the reconstruction of the “Shelter” facility at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.