Russian drone hits spent fuel storage facility in Chernobyl exclusion zone

The central storage facility in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which suffered a meltdown 40 years ago, is used for the long-term storage of spent fuel assemblies from other Ukrainian nuclear power plants, according to Energoatom and international sources. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the targeted building had been significantly damaged. According to the agency, the façade, windows, and doors were affected. "Auch benachbarte Gebäude seien durch die Druckwelle in Mitleidenschaft gezogen."

Reactions from Kyiv and Vienna

Energoatom reported that the impact sparked a fire covering an area of 40 square meters, which was subsequently extinguished. Radiation levels at the site remained within permissible limits, according to the company and the IAEA. No radioactive contamination was detected. "Ein IAEA-Team werde die Anlage in Kürze besuchen, um die Auswirkungen zu begutachten, teilte die Behörde mit."

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the incident was extremely alarming because it had occurred at a site where large quantities of nuclear material are stored—just a few meters from the building that was hit. The IAEA described the incident as "zutiefst beunruhigend." Grossi added: "Angriffe auf atomtechnische Anlagen seien völlig inakzeptabel und verstiessen direkt gegen zentrale Grundsätze der nuklearen Sicherheit während eines militärischen Konflikts."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed outrage at the attack, calling it "extrem niederträchtig" on the platform X. He said Russia had deliberately targeted the facility, which he classified as "kritische Infrastruktur." "Russland habe eine Anlage der "kritischen Infrastruktur" gezielt angegriffen." Zelensky also emphasized that radiation limits had not been exceeded: "Es gebe zwar keine Überschreitung der Grenzwerte für die Strahlung, aber eine Überschreitung der ohnehin schon himmelhohen russischen Grausamkeit." He also interpreted the attack as evidence of Russian "Dreistigkeit."

Background: Chernobyl 40 years on

There was initially no comment from Moscow on the specific attack. The Russian Defense Ministry stated only in general terms that strikes had been carried out on targets connected to the Ukrainian army. The Russian claims could not be independently verified. Whether the radioactive waste storage facility had been deliberately targeted was initially unclear, according to the report.

The incident comes against the backdrop of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been ongoing for more than four years. "Im Zuge des russischen Angriffskrieges gegen die Ukraine, der seit mehr als vier Jahren andauert". Ukraine has been defending itself for more than four years against a Russian invasion with Western assistance, according to its own statements: "Die Ukraine wehrt sich seit mehr als vier Jahren mit westlicher Hilfe gegen eine russische Invasion." Just last year, the new sarcophagus over the destroyed reactor was hit by a Russian drone, causing lasting damage. "Bereits im vorigen Jahr war der neue Sarkophag des Unglücksreaktors von einer russischen Drohne getroffen, wodurch dieser nachhaltigen Schaden nahm."

Further Russian attacks overnight

On April 26, 1986, a test at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in what was then the Soviet republic of Ukraine went out of control, resulting in the worst nuclear disaster in history. "Am 26. April 1986 war in der damaligen Sowjetrepublik Ukraine ein Test im AKW Tschernobyl außer Kontrolle geraten, und es trat der größte anzunehmende Unfall (GAU) ein." Radioactive clouds at the time spread in weakened form as far as Northern and Western Europe. "Radioaktive Wolken breiteten sich abgeschwächt bis nach Nord- und Westeuropa aus."

Alongside the drone strike on the spent fuel storage facility, a series of further Russian attacks on Ukraine were reported during the night of June 7. According to Ukrainian President Zelensky, Russian strikes also hit other civilian targets in 13 Ukrainian regions overnight. "In dieser Nacht gab es russische Angriffe auch auf andere zivile Objekte in 13 unserer Regionen". The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia had attacked during the night with one missile, six cruise missiles, and 290 drones. "Davon seien 284 Flugkörper abgewehrt worden. Es habe neun Einschläge an sieben Orten gegeben. An zehn Orten seien Trümmer abgestürzt."

In the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia, one person was killed and two others were injured in a Russian drone strike, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a 59-year-old man was killed and a 35-year-old man was injured in Russian drone and missile strikes, according to authorities. In Kherson, authorities reported three people injured following a Russian attack. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a 56-year-old minibus driver was also killed in a drone strike, according to official figures.

In Russia's border region of Belgorod, three men were killed according to the regional emergency headquarters. They were killed in two attacks in the settlement of Oktyabrsky, just a few kilometers from the Ukrainian border. In Armavir in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, a fire broke out at an oil storage facility; there were no injuries. The oil depot had been targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes in the past. In the port of Taganrog in the Rostov region, a tanker, a fuel tank, and an administrative building caught fire, according to governor Yuri Slyusar. Two people were injured.

Counterstrikes and attacks on Russian territory

The Russian Defense Ministry said in the early morning that 127 Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight over Russian territory and the annexed Crimean Peninsula. According to Kyiv's General Staff, Ukraine confirmed attacks on Taganrog, among others, in which an oil terminal was hit and a fuel tank was damaged. "Das Terminal werde im Interesse des russischen Militärs genutzt, hieß es zur Begründung." Zelensky wrote on Telegram: "Die Ukraine bringe den Krieg völlig gerechtfertigt dahin zurück, woher er gekommen sei" and thanked the soldiers for their accuracy.

The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was also the target of a drone attack, according to the Russian state corporation Rosatom. "Laut dem russischen staatlichen Atomkonzern Rosatom hat eine ukrainische Kampfdrohne das von Russland kontrollierte Kernkraftwerk Saporischschja getroffen." Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said important facilities had not been damaged in the explosion, but a hole had been torn in the wall of a turbine hall. "Wichtige Anlagen seien bei der Explosion nicht beschädigt worden, so Rosatom-Chef Alexej Lichatschow am Samstag. Es sei jedoch ein Loch in die Wand einer Turbinenhalle gerissen worden." No statement from Ukraine was initially available. "Eine Stellungnahme der Ukraine lag vorerst nicht vor."

Drone attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

The IAEA said this was the first drone attack inside the Zaporizhzhia plant grounds since April 2024 and demanded access to the affected hall. The agency had been informed of an attack in which a hole was torn in a wall, the IAEA (IAEO) said on Saturday evening on the platform X, adding that it was the first drone strike inside the plant grounds since April 2024. "Die Internationale Atomenergiebehörde (IAEA) fordert Zugang zu der betroffenen Halle." IAEA Director General Grossi expressed serious concern about the incident and warned: "Angriffe auf Atomanlagen seien wie ein Spiel mit dem Feuer".

An important power line of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was restored after a 15-hour power outage, the IAEA said via X. During the outage, the facility had to rely on emergency diesel generators to cool its six shut-down reactors. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is considered the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. A meeting was also scheduled in London for the evening of June 7, at which British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Ukrainian President Zelensky were to discuss possible negotiations to end the war. According to Paris, increased pressure on Russia was also to be addressed