Russian missiles flying near Chornobyl raise disaster concerns, Ukraine official says
Photo: A Russian drone struck the Chernobyl sarcophagus (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
During its combined attacks on Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly launched missiles and drones along a trajectory near the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, creating the risk of a serious accident, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko says in an interview with Reuters.
He notes that both the Chornobyl and Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plants have been in the flight path of Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missiles since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine.
According to the Prosecutor General, 35 Kinzhal missiles were detected at various distances within a radius of about 20 km from both power plants. Of these, 18 flew within a radius of about 20 km from both facilities during a single flight.
"Such launches cannot be explained by any military considerations. It is evident that the flights over the nuclear facilities are carried out solely for the purpose of intimidation and terror," Kravchenko emphasizes.
He adds that in three separate instances, Kinzhal missiles fell during flight within a radius of about 10 km from the Khmelnytskyi NPP. At the same time, there were no signs that they had been intercepted.
Disregard for human safety
The Prosecutor General states that since July 2024, radars have detected at least 92 Russian drones flying within a five-kilometer radius of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant’s arch.
"Deliberate flights of (drones) with a powerful warhead over a nuclear facility are at least extremely irresponsible and indicate a complete disregard ... for the safety of civilians not only in Ukraine, but throughout Europe," he emphasizes.
In February 2025, a Russian drone struck the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, breaching the containment structure. Kravchenko notes that, according to the investigation’s findings, the Russian strike was deliberate.
He also suggests that the Russians were using the Chornobyl zone as a flight path for drones, attempting to bypass areas under the control of Ukrainian air defense forces.
Earlier, Serhii Tarakanov, director of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, stated that the sarcophagus covering the fourth reactor could collapse if Russia launched a second strike.
A direct hit on the sarcophagus is not necessary for this to happen. There are risks even if a Russian drone or missile strikes nearby.
