Chornobyl: a site transformed

Following Russia’s occupation of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) at the start of the war on Ukraine, the scope of the ICCA was broadened to support the restoration of safety and security within the CEZ, as well as wider nuclear safety measures across Ukraine.  

Completed in 2019, the NSC remains one of the world’s most vulnerable nuclear sites. A Russian drone attack on the structure in February 2025 severely affected its ability to carry out its two primary functions – containing radiological hazards and supporting long-term decommissioning. Key systems designed to ensure the NSC’s 100-year lifespan have been rendered non-operational as a result, with a significant risk of further deterioration in the absence of swift emergency repairs.  

Recent contributions by France, the European Union and the United Kingdom to the ICCA have brought the total available funds to almost €60 million, which will contribute to ongoing international efforts to support the restoration of the NSC’s key functions.   

The EBRD is working closely with the Chornobyl nuclear plant to assess options for restoring the NSC’s full functionality. While it is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of the cost of repairs at this point, the scale of the damage and the complex radiological environment suggests it could amount to several hundred million euros.  

Work is underway to provide a comprehensive assessment of the full extent of the damage, particularly regarding the cladding, ventilation and main crane system. These components are essential to the long-term operation of the NSC, as well as to ensuring safe deconstruction of the sarcophagus and reactor 4.  

The fact remains that 95% of the perilous matter at reactor 4 is still there, exactly where it was 40 years ago. Only 5% was expelled in the fire. A colossal mass of extremely radioactive molten material squats beneath the tipped-in concrete, steel wreckage and scrambled backfill shovelled over everything in 1986.   

The Chornobyl nuclear plant continues to monitor radiation levels, with updates regularly posted on its Instagram account and official website. Current readings confirm that radiation levels remain within acceptable limits.  

At the EBRD, we are also monitoring the situation closely. Immediately after the attack, we contacted both the International Atomic Energy Agency and officials at the Chornobyl plant. We also provided a swift update to donors of the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account, reaffirming that the Bank remains resolute in its long-term commitment to safety and security at Chornobyl.  

At the same time, the 2025 drone attack and its aftermath serve as a stark reminder to the world that Chornobyl remains vulnerable. The NSC called for unimagined engineering vision. But its purpose was essentially straightforward: to confine. For at least 100 years. 

This monumental feat of construction provided the environment in which Ukraine could, over future decades, manage the deconstruction and decommissioning of the old sarcophagus and destroyed reactor 4 in a safe and secure environment. The lifetime of the NSC at the time of completion was 100 years.   Russia’s drone attack radically diminished the two core functions of the NSC: to confine and to deconstruct. 

Detailed engineering assessments are underway but it is unclear how these functions can be restored. One risk is that the original design of the facility cannot be replicated and that the design life of the structure will be significantly shortened.