Russian Strikes Near Chernobyl Raise Nuclear Fears
Russian attacks on Ukraine have repeatedly taken place near nuclear facilities, significantly increasing the risk of a serious accident, according to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
Both Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and drones have flown within roughly 20 km of the Chernobyl and Khmelnytsky plants. In three cases, they came within approximately 10 km of the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant. It is unclear why the missiles came down in those locations, but Kravchenko said the debris did not indicate they had been intercepted by air defenses.
According to the Ukrainian side, these flight paths have no military justification and are more likely intended as intimidation. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly warned of the risks posed by such operations.
The situation has been further complicated by an incident last year in which a drone damaged the Chernobyl reactor containment structure. Repairs could cost well into hundreds of millions of euros.