Russia accused of ‘nuclear terrorism’ after striking facility near Chernobyl

Radiation levels are within normal limits (Picture: X)

Ukraine has accused Russia of nuclear terrorism after an attack today on a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel near the Chernobyl power plant.

Damage could be seen at the power station’s reception area following the strike last night.

Ukraine’s state nuclear energy operator,Energoatom,confirmed there were no casualties and that radiation levels were ‘within normal limits’.

‘Another strike on a nuclear infrastructure facility once again demonstrated to the whole world the true face of the Kremlin regime,which deliberately creates threats to nuclear and radiation safety,’ it said.

‘Russia continues to act as a terrorist state and a nuclear terrorist,disregarding international law and the safety of millions of people.’

The drone strike sparked a fire which spread quickly (Picture: Reuters)

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Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.The drone strike happened around 2am and caused a fire,which spread quickly but was extinguished.The building was part of the container reception area,and spent nuclear fuel was not stored in the area which was hit.Chernobyl,which was previously controlled by Russia,was the scene of the world’s worst civilian nuclear disaster in 1986.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly warned both sides in the conflict to avoid the risk of drone and missile strikes close to nuclear power plants. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said the incident was ‘deeply concerning’ due to the large amounts of nuclear material held at the facility.He said in a statement that the agency would visit the site of the attack soon.In February last year,a Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear reactor damaged its main shield.The massive structure,which was built over the site of the 1986 disaster,lost its ‘primary safety functions,including the confinement capability’,International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors found.Luckily,a report found the £1,296,000,000 shield’s main structures and monitoring systems sustained no irreversible damage.Russia also previously took control of the Chernobyl power plant and surrounding exclusion zone at the start of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion in 2022.Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at .For more stories like this,check our news page.