Chornobyl NPP suspends firefighting efforts after Russian attack
Firefighting efforts at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) following a Russian drone attack, were suspended, Ukraine’s State Agency for Exclusion Zone Management reported on Feb. 17.
As of 7:00 a.m., firefighting efforts were paused but not considered completed.
No open flames were detected, and authorities are monitoring the area using drones equipped with thermal imaging.
Six firefighters and two emergency response vehicles from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES) were deployed.
The temperature at the site was recorded at -15°C (5°F).
Radiation levels remain within normal limits, and no radioactive material has been released beyond established safety thresholds.
Drone strike on Chornobyl NPP
On Feb. 14, a Russian drone carrying a high-explosive warhead damaged the protective sarcophagus covering Chornobyl’s fourth reactor, causing a fire.
- Ukraine’s SES confirmed normal radiation levels following the attack.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) acknowledged the explosion at the site but were reluctant to attribute it to Russia.
- The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) reported damage to the sarcophagus and other Chornobyl facilities.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the drone was deliberately targeting the reactor’s sarcophagus, flying at a low altitude of 85 meters (280 feet) to avoid detection by air defense radars.
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