UK Gives $22.5M to Repair Chornobyl Nuclear Confinement Damaged by Russian Attack

The United Kingdom will provide £17 million ($22.5 million) to restore the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant after it was damaged by Russian attacks, Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy announced on October 15.

The funding, equivalent to more than €20 million ($22.4 million), will form part of an international restoration program coordinated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development together with the Ukrainian government and G7 donor countries.

Russia previously struck the New Safe Confinement at Chornobyl with a drone on February 14, 2025, damaging the structure covering Reactor No. 4 and triggering a fire. Radiation levels remained stable, but the attack compromised the shelter’s protective function.

The New Safe Confinement covers the destroyed Unit 4 reactor at the Chornobyl plant and is designed to contain radioactive material and enable the safe dismantling of unstable structures. Construction began in 2012, the arch was moved into position in 2016, and the facility was fully commissioned in 2019. The project cost about €1.5 billion ($1.68 billion), funded by more than 40 donor countries and institutions through the EBRD -managed Chornobyl Shelter Fund.

“We are grateful to the United Kingdom for its consistent support for Ukraine and its significant contribution to strengthening our nuclear and energy security,” First Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal stated.

“This is an important contribution not only to restoring damaged infrastructure, but also to strengthening nuclear safety and protecting Europe from radiation threats,” he added.

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Shmyhal emphasized that international cooperation remains particularly important as Ukraine works to repair nuclear infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks.

“In the current conditions, international solidarity and shared responsibility for nuclear safety are of particular importance,” he stated.

Ukraine has also been reinforcing the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone with trenches, checkpoints, firing positions, and anti-drone barriers amid concerns over another Russian advance from Belarus. Russian troops seized the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant on February 24, 2022, and occupied the area for several weeks during their failed push toward Kyiv.

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