Germany to fund restoration of Chornobyl shelter damaged by Russian strike
Photo: Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (Getty Images)
Germany will provide €50 million to restore the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The structure was damaged by a Russian drone attack, Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
Where the funds will go
According to the energy minister, the German funding will be transferred to the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account.
Shmyhal discussed the possibility of securing the funds during a meeting with a German delegation led by Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider.
"I thank Minister Schneider and the German delegation for their visit to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. We appreciate the swift decision on the funding. Restoring the confinement structure is critically important for ensuring nuclear safety in Ukraine and throughout Europe," Denys Shmyhal said.
During their visit to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, German officials inspected the New Safe Confinement arch and its infrastructure, a new solar power plant at the industrial site, and paid tribute to the emergency workers who took part in the Chornobyl cleanup.
What is known about the damage to Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant
The New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant was damaged by a Russian drone strike in February 2025.
According to estimates by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the total cost of restoration work is approximately €500 million.
The European Commission, the United States and Norway have also previously expressed their readiness to help finance the restoration of the shelter.
Russian strikes on nuclear facilities in Chornobyl
Russian forces have repeatedly posed threats to nuclear safety in the area of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
In particular, on the night of June 7, a Russian drone struck a building at a spent nuclear fuel storage facility in the Chornobyl exclusion zone. The attack by the Russian UAV sparked a fire at the Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility in the Kyiv region.
Ukraine’s top leadership also responded to the latest Russian provocation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the enemy deliberately targeted a civilian facility.
