UK to allocate £17m for repairs to Chornobyl NPP shelter — The Independent

The UK government has pledged to provide £17 million to repair the protective shelter and ventilation systems at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, damaged in a strike by a Russian drone. The Independent reports. The Russian Federation is an aggressor state waging a full-scale war against Ukraine.

Repair of the protective shelter

The funds will be directed towards restoring the protective structure over the fourth power unit and the plant's ventilation systems. The article notes that the damage has raised concerns over corrosion risks which, in the long term, could pose a threat to safety and the environment.

British funding is part of international efforts to repair the facility, coordinated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development together with the Ukrainian government and G7 donors. Chancellor John Healey said that London's support for the Ukrainian people remains unwavering, and also linked the assistance to Ukraine's reconstruction following Russian attacks.

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Meeting in London

The allocation of the funds was announced after talks between UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Downing Street in London. Zelenskyy was welcomed outside the British prime minister's residence by an honour guard from the Irish Guards.

During the meeting, Burnham also confirmed that the UK would accelerate deliveries of air defence missiles to Ukraine. This concerns faster deliveries of British Lightweight Multirole Missiles, which, according to the publication, are used against Russian jet-powered drones. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said that Britain, together with its allies, would strengthen Ukraine's security and work towards a just and lasting peace.