The protective dome that shields the nuclear reactor of Chernobyl, in Ukraine, can no longer fulfill its main function of radioactive containment after a drone attack recorded in early 2025.
The alert was issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose team of inspectors confirmed that the structure lost critical isolation capabilities.
The dome was built over the Chernobyl nuclear plant to contain the radiation leak after the nuclear disaster of 1986.
Until now, it was responsible for preventing greater toxicity, but the Russia-Ukraine war put it at risk.
The Chernobyl dome shows a loss of its safety functions
The IAEA inspectors discovered that the enormous dome-like structure covering Chernobyl lost “its primary safety functions, including isolation capability.”
The attack, which occurred in February of this year, was attributed by Ukraine to Russia, an accusation that the Kremlin strongly denied.
Upon learning this information, the IAEA Director General, Argentine Rafael Grossi, advocated for repairs to the Chernobyl dome.
“A timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety,” he stated.
The damage to the structure and necessary repairs
The agency’s team completed a safety assessment of the Chernobyl dome last week, after it was severely damaged by the attack.
The impact caused a fire in the outer cladding of the steel structure that compromised the integrity of the protective shield.
According to the report, repairs are essential to:
- Prevent further degradation of the nuclear shelter
- Ensure long-term nuclear safety
- Maintain the isolation capability of radioactive material
- Protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure
The inspectors indicated that no permanent damage occurred to the support structures or the cover monitoring systems, and that some repairs had been made to the roof.
Chernobyl: the historical context and current risk
The Chernobyl explosion in 1986 released radioactive material into the air, causing a public health emergency across Europe.
In response, the former Soviet Union built a concrete sarcophagus over the damaged nuclear reactor.
The Chernobyl dome only had a useful life of 30 years, prompting the construction of the current protective sarcophagus, designed to prevent radioactive leaks for the next 100 years.
Professor Jim Smith, from the University of Portsmouth (UK), who has studied the aftermath of the disaster, explained that the greatest danger associated with the site is radioactive dust.
However, he added that “the risk is low” because the contaminated dust is contained within the thick concrete sarcophagus covered by the protective shield.
Smith told the BBC that “it’s not something we should panic about“, although he acknowledged the importance of immediate repairs.
Continuous inspections of the Chernobyl dome
Since early December, the UN’s nuclear watchdog has been assessing Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as the country continues to defend itself against Russia.
In addition to assessing Chernobyl, the IAEA has also been inspecting substations linked to nuclear safety throughout Ukrainian territory.
Grossi explained that these facilities “are absolutely essential to supply the electricity that all nuclear plants need for reactor cooling and other safety systems.”
“They are also necessary to distribute the electricity they produce to homes and industry,” added the international official.
