Russian Drone Attacks Chernobyl Nuclear Site in Ukraine, Triggering Fire

A Russian military drone is reported to have struck a decommissioned nuclear fuel storage facility near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine on Sunday (07/06/2026). This incident occurs amidst the ongoing conflict between the two nations that has been raging since 2022.

According to reports from Arab News, Kyiv’s General Staff and the national atomic energy agency stated that a container receiving building was partially destroyed by the airstrike. However, it was confirmed that no spent fuel was being stored at the site at the time of the drone attack.

A massive fire caused by the drone impact was eventually extinguished by emergency responders on the ground, and there have been no reports of casualties or fatalities from the incident so far.

The Russian government has not yet provided any official comment or public statement regarding the alleged attack on the facility, which is located approximately 15 kilometres from the Chernobyl power plant—the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha issued a strong condemnation via an official statement on the social media platform X, regarding the dangerous actions taken by Kremlin forces.

“This is not the first time Russian forces have placed Ukrainian nuclear facilities at risk,” Sybiha wrote. The Foreign Minister also emphasised that Moscow’s military aggression targeting such sensitive areas constitutes a dangerous form of intimidation that cannot be tolerated by the international community.

“Russia’s nuclear blackmail and the threat to nuclear safety are systemic, deliberate, and unacceptable,” Sybiha continued.

Previously, in February 2025, a Russian attack drone damaged the protective sarcophagus over the Chernobyl reactor, which had been out of operation since the fatal explosion and meltdown in April 1986. At that time, Russia firmly denied responsibility for the incident.

To date, Kyiv and Moscow continue to exchange accusations regarding attacks targeting the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine, which is currently occupied by Russian forces and remains the largest nuclear power plant on the European continent.