Chernobyl at 40: War‑Damaged Arch Raises Fresh Nuclear Safety Fears

Overview

• Marking Sunday’s 40th anniversary, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of “nuclear terrorism,” citing repeated drone overflights and the February 2025 strike that punched through the protective arch.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency said in December 2025 the New Safe Confinement no longer guarantees full containment after the drone perforated about 15 square meters of its roof, and no rise in radiation has been detected so far.
• Greenpeace warned in mid‑April that an uncontrolled collapse of the older 1986 sarcophagus could release highly radioactive dust and fuel fragments trapped inside, describing a risk of new environmental contamination.
• Site director Sergiy Tarakanov said ongoing military activity blocks repairs and adds danger, noting a rocket landing even 200 meters from the structure could shake it like an earthquake and threaten its integrity.
• The arch, a 36,000‑ton steel shelter built in 2016 by the Novarka consortium and funded by 45 countries for about €2.1 billion, was designed to enable safe dismantling over decades, and diplomats now say repairs will require major international financing and access to the site.