Russia launches drone strike on spent nuclear fuel facility at Chornobyl, radiation levels remain normal

Russia struck the site of the Centralized Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility near the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant with a drone in the early hours of June 7, as announced by Ukrainian company Energoatom, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy, and President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Energoatom’s data, the strike partially destroyed the container reception building, where no spent nuclear fuel was stored. The radiation background remains within normal limits, and no casualties were reported.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the strike was carried out at 2:05 a.m. by a Geran-2 type drone. Investigators discovered elements of the drone at the scene and opened criminal proceedings on charges involving the violation of the laws and customs of war. The SBU stated that the explosion damaged the building used for the reception and reloading of spent nuclear fuel, along with an IAEA administrative building.

Energoatom reported that the strike hit the container reception building at the spent fuel facility site at 02:10. Following the attack, a 40-square-meter fire broke out, but it was promptly contained and fully extinguished. The nuclear operator published photographs of the damaged building. They show a destroyed section of the facade, blown-out windows, and nearby debris.