STORY: A protective shield at the Chornobyl nuclear plant in war-torn Ukraine, built to contain radioactive material from the 1986 disaster, can no longer perform its main safety function due to drone damage, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Friday (December 6), a strike Ukraine has attributed to Russia.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said an inspection last week of the steel confinement structure completed in 2019 found the drone impact in February, three years into Russia's conflict in Ukraine, had degraded the structure and has recommended major renovations be done to the hangar.

The U.N. reported on February 14 that Ukrainian authorities said a drone with a high explosive warhead struck the plant, caused a fire and damaged the protective cladding around reactor Number Four, which was destroyed in the 1986 disaster.

Ukrainian authorities said the drone was Russian. Moscow denied it had attacked the plant.

The 1986 Chornobyl explosion sent radiation across Europe and prompted Soviet authorities to mobilise vast numbers of men and equipment to deal with the accident. The plant's last working reactor was closed in 2000.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: CHORNOBYL, UKRAINE (FILE - RELEASED FEBRUARY 17, 2025) (STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAINE - Must on-screen courtesy State Emergency Service of Ukraine) (MUTE)

1. VARIOUS DRONE FOOTAGE SHOWING WORKERS OF STATE EMERGENCY SERVICES ON TOP OF THE RADIATION SHELTER OF THE CHORNOBYL NUCLEAR REACTOR WORKING NEAR HOLE MADE BY A DRONE CARRYING A HIGH EXPLOSIVE WARHEAD

CHORNOBYL, UKRAINE (FILE - APRIL 12, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

2. VARIOUS OF HOLE IN CHORNOBYL NEW SAFE CONFINEMENT UKRAINE SAYS WAS AS A RESULT OF DRONE ATTACK IN FEBRUARY

3. VARIOUS OF CONFINEMENT STRUCTURE

4. HOLE

5. SIGN READING (English): "STOP / (Ukrainian): "Control" / CONFINEMENT IN BACKGROUND

CHORNOBYL, UKRAINE (FILE - APRIL 7, 2022) (REUTERS - Access all)

6. VARIOUS OF SAFE CONFINEMENT STRUCTURE OVER FOURTH REACTOR

7. MILITARY VEHICLES DRIVING PAST REACTOR

8. RADIATION SIGN BY ROAD, ARMOURED VEHICLE DRIVING PAST RADIATION SIGN

CHORNOBYL, UKRAINE (FILE - UNKNOWN DATE) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS - Access all)

9. AERIAL VIEW OF CHORNOBYL

10. REACTOR NUMBER 4 WHICH WAS DESTROYED IN EXPLOSION

11. HELICOPTER HOVERING OVER REACTOR NUMBER 4

12. VARIOUS OF WORKERS AT EXPLODED REACTOR

PRIPYAT, UKRAINE (FILE - APRIL 2021) (REUTERS - Access all)

13. (MUTE) VARIOUS OF DRONE FOOTAGE SHOWING ABANDONED BUILDINGS

14. ABANDONED BUILDINGS FILMED FROM MOVING VEHICLE