Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
The U.S. Department of State intends to offer up to $100 million in foreign assistance toward a G7 initiative to repair the Chornobyl nuclear plant’s protective structure that was damaged in Russian strikes.
The plant, located in Ukraine, was the site of a major disaster in 1986 when Reactor No. 4 exploded, releasing radioactive material across Europe. This prompted one of the biggest emergency responses in history, including building protective structures around the plant. While the final reactor at Chornobyl was shut down in 2000, the site continues to remain highly sensitive.
“For three decades, the United States and G7 partners have led efforts to secure nuclear material at the Chornobyl plant, with the United States providing more than $365 million in total funding towards the New Safe Confinement (NSC) arch that secures the main reactor areas,” the State Department said in an April 29 statement.
“Initially built with a 100-year lifespan, the NSC was damaged last year in a drone strike during the senseless ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Without repairs, the NSC can no longer provide adequate protection, creating the specter of a dangerous leak of highly radioactive material in Europe.”
According to a report from campaign network Greenpeace, Soviet authorities constructed what was called the Shelter Object over the destroyed Reactor 4 in the aftermath of the 1986 accident.
The Shelter Object aimed to reduce radiation levels at the site, minimize the release of radionuclides into the atmosphere, and prevent water contamination. It was never intended to be permanent and had a design life of around 20 years.
Between 1998 and 2016, the NSC structure was designed and constructed, covering the Shelter Object. NSC was formally commissioned in 2019.
“The NSC was designed to provide a 100-year safe and secure environment for the dismantlement of the Shelter Object and the control of highly radioactive materials inside the building - nuclear fuel, lava-like melted fuel, radioactive dust, and all structural debris,” the report said.
“The design and functioning of the NSC was intended to prevent the release of radioactive materials during the many decades required to conduct this work.”
In February 2025, the NSC was struck by what Ukraine identified as a Russian long-range drone. Moscow denied the claim, saying it does not target nuclear infrastructure and accused Ukraine of staging the incident.
The strike on NSC’s north-west side created an opening of roughly 15 square meters, according to the Greenpeace report. While emergency repairs were initiated on the exterior of the NSC, they could not fully restore the confinement function of the structure.
“This increases the risk of radioactivity release in the environment especially in the case of a collapse of the Shelter Object. The dismantlement of the vulnerable Shelter Object is not possible without repairs to the NSC,” the report said.
“A collapse of the Shelter Object would have significant consequences, including for radiation issues inside the NSC, additional financial costs and in terms of the total collective radiation dose to workers.”
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has initiated a funding program to restore NSC’s functionality, setting 2030 as the deadline to complete the repairs.
The bank warned that without repairs, the structure faces irreversible corrosion within four years.
In its statement, the State Department said it was “proactively committing 20 percent, or $100 million, of the G7’s estimated $500 million cost to rehabilitate the NSC arch and ensure continued safety and security of the Chornobyl reactors and nuclear material.”
“We call upon our G7 and European partners to follow suit and make substantial financial commitments to share the burden of these essential repairs.”
Greenpeace said in an April 14 statement that the ongoing war conditions in the Chornobyl region, including the threat of Russian missiles and drones, make it “near impossible” to kick off major engineering work at the site to repair the NSC.
Eric Schmieman, an engineer who wrote the report and was involved in the design and construction of NSC, said that it’s almost impossible for people to understand the magnitude of lethal conditions inside the Shelter Object.
“Tons of highly radioactive nuclear fuel, dust and debris. My colleagues and I spent years investigating inside the ruins of Chornobyl reactor 4. We designed and built the New Safe Confinement to protect the environment and people of Ukraine and Europe,” Schmieman said.
“It is urgent that all measures are taken to find a way to restore as much of the critical functions of the facility as possible.”