Overview
- An IAEA inspection last week concluded the New Safe Confinement has lost its primary safety functions, including its confinement capability.
- The damage stems from a February 14 drone strike that pierced the outer shell and sparked a brief fire; Ukraine accuses Russia, the Kremlin denies responsibility, and the IAEA has not assigned blame.
- Monitoring shows no rise in radiation outside the plant and no breach of the inner containment, with no permanent damage to load-bearing structures or monitoring systems reported.
- Only limited temporary repairs have been completed, and the IAEA recommends comprehensive restoration with humidity control, upgraded corrosion monitoring, and improvements to the automated shelter monitoring system.
- The steel arch was a €2.1 billion project funded by more than 45 donors via the EBRD, and the IAEA maintains a permanent team on site as it also reports frequent nearby military activity at the Zaporizhzhia plant.