“Russian Forces Target Nuclear Facility Near Chornobyl”

Russian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Russian forces intentionally targeted a facility storing spent nuclear fuel near Ukraine’s Chornobyl power plant, calling it a heinous act that did not result in a radiation increase. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the strike caused significant damage to a fuel-reception building but did not raise radiation levels. Energoatom, Kyiv’s state atomic agency, clarified that no spent fuel was present in the building during the attack, which was swiftly contained without any casualties. Despite the incident occurring near the site of the 1986 Chornobyl disaster, Russia has not officially acknowledged the strike. Zelenskyy condemned the attack on social media, stating that a Shahed drone was used by the Russian forces. In a separate incident in February 2025, a Russian drone damaged a containment arch over the Chornobyl reactor, leading to allegations and denials of responsibility by Russia. Additionally, both Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of targeting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine.