KYIV REGION, Ukraine — June 07, 2026 : A Russian Shahed-type attack drone struck the Centralized Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility (CSFSF) in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone early Sunday, damaging a building used for receiving and processing storage containers. Ukrainian officials confirmed that no spent nuclear fuel was affected and radiation levels remain within normal limits.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff and state nuclear operator Energoatom, the strike occurred at approximately 2:10 a.m. local time near the village of Buriakivka. The drone partially destroyed a reception building where no spent nuclear fuel was stored at the time of the attack.
The impact sparked a fire covering around 40 square meters. Emergency response teams and a mobile operations unit contained and extinguished the blaze within an hour. No injuries were reported among facility personnel.
Investigators recovered debris identified as belonging to a Russian Geran-2 (Shahed-type) attack drone. Energoatom stated that the facility’s spent fuel storage systems were not damaged and that continuous monitoring showed no increase in radiation levels.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, describing the targeting of nuclear-related infrastructure as an irresponsible act. Energoatom accused Russia of endangering nuclear safety and violating international norms governing the protection of civilian nuclear facilities.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also expressed concern over the incident. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said attacks on nuclear sites violate fundamental nuclear safety principles. An IAEA team already stationed at Chornobyl is preparing an assessment of the damage.
The CSFSF, located about 15 kilometers from the former Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, was commissioned in January 2024 and serves Ukraine’s Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, and South Ukraine nuclear power plants. The facility uses dry storage technology to safely store spent nuclear fuel and ended Ukraine’s previous dependence on Russia for spent fuel management.
The latest strike follows a February 2025 drone attack on the New Safe Confinement structure covering Chornobyl’s destroyed Reactor No. 4. That incident caused significant damage to the containment system, and repair costs have been estimated at approximately €500 million.
Ukrainian authorities said specialists continue to monitor radiation conditions at the site and confirmed that the facility remains operational despite the damage to the reception building.
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