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During a nighttime attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that a Russian drone carrying a high-explosive warhead struck the protective containment shell at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Kyiv region. However, a senior Russian official dismissed responsibility for the incident.
Russian Drone Strikes Chernobyl, Zelenskyy Reports https://t.co/fBgOdbXnuu
— WhiteNoise🇺🇸HalB🇺🇸 (@ObsoleteAndSane) February 14, 2025
Both Zelenskyy and a United Nations agency confirmed that radiation levels at the facility remained stable. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that while the protective shell was hit, the inner containment structure remained intact.
The IAEA’s assessment was limited to confirming that their on-site team heard an explosion and received information about a drone strike on the shell, without specifying the responsible party.
During a media conference call, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov firmly denied Ukraine’s accusations, stating: “There is no talk about strikes on nuclear infrastructure, nuclear energy facilities, any such claim isn’t true, our military doesn’t do that.”
The source of the attack could not be independently verified.
The incident occurred just two days after President Donald Trump announced his intention to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the conflict. This development appeared to position Putin as the primary decision-maker while potentially marginalizing both Zelenskyy and European governments in future peace negotiations.
