A Russian attack drone struck the massive steel structure designed to contain the radioactive ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that around 2 a.m. Friday, its team at Chernobyl heard an explosion.
The drone hit the roof that protects the remains of Reactor No. 4, which melted down in 1986, triggering the worst nuclear disaster in history.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this a terrorist threat to the entire world. Officials said the fire was contained and radiation levels remain stable. Russia issued a full denial of the incident. The attack coincided with the Munich Security Conference, where world leaders gathered to discuss global security.
RELATED STORY | Trump says he spoke with Putin about ending the war in Ukraine
Ukrainian officials noted that the strike sparked outrage as attendees recalled the international response to the original Chernobyl disaster. Zelenskyy will likely use this incident to bolster his arguments in a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, emphasizing that Russia is not preparing for peace but for more conflict.
The Kyiv Independent reported that the meeting, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed to give the U.S. time to review a proposal from Kyiv. This proposal may be part of an agreement that could grant U.S. access to Ukraine's mineral reserves in exchange for continued military and financial support.
RELATED STORY | Trump targets Russian oil to pressure Putin to end war in Ukraine
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
