The Chernobyl reactor shelter has ceased to perform its function

This was stated by the chief engineer of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Oleksandr Tytarchuk, during a briefing at the Chernobyl NPP.

The shelter is already old. It will soon be 40 years old and in order to ensure safety, the world community allocated funds, built a safe new confinement, which is very expensive and cost us a lot of effort, including the health of all our workers. This is first. Secondly, the shelter (after being hit by a Russian drone — ed.) has ceased to fulfill its function. Now there is a possibility of radioactive substances being released due to certain actions that may be at the old shelter facility.

"Exceeding the control levels regarding the radiation background at the site has not been recorded. The background has not changed," said the chief engineer of the Chernobyl NPP.

His words were confirmed by the head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, Andriy Danyk.

The radiation background at the industrial site is normal. We are monitoring at the expense of our units of the State Hydrometeorological Service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine throughout the country — the background is normal everywhere. At the same time, we informed the European Civil Protection Office, their coordination center, in accordance with the memorandum of cooperation, that we have such an event, such consequences.

According to him, the active fire has been extinguished. However, rescue units are currently continuing to work at the scene of the crash.

The head of the State Agency for the Exclusion Zone, Hryhoriy Ishchenko, added that the consequences of a hit could be catastrophic.

The consequences could have been catastrophic. If, say, a drone had hit 15 meters to the side above an old shelter, it would have been a radiation accident of a completely different category.

According to Tytarchuk, there is a complex and lengthy work ahead to create a new project to restore the shelter.