Last night, on February 14, 2025, Russia carried out a drone strike on the New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure over the fourth reactor of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP). The attack on this civilian nuclear infrastructure resulted in a fire at the site.  

This marks yet another escalation of nuclear terrorism by Russia, which has repeatedly committed similar crimes during its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. The world has witnessed countless instances of Russia deliberately destroying Ukrainian cities, killing children, and obliterating critical civilian infrastructure.  

The Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant is a civilian nuclear facility that was decommissioned following the worst technological disaster in human history. Any attack on this site or the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone constitutes not only an assault on Ukraine but also a threat to global nuclear security.  

At the same time, Russia continues to hold the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) hostage—the largest nuclear facility in Europe. Along with it, thousands of tons of nuclear material and thousands of Ukrainian workers remain under occupation and terror, forced to prevent another disaster while working under extreme duress.  

It is unacceptable that, despite these crimes, representatives of Russia’s nuclear sector, who advise the Russian military on attacks against Ukraine's nuclear infrastructure, continue to participate in international forums, promote Russian nuclear technologies, and even retain positions in the leadership of international nuclear organizations.  

Ukraine insists on the complete isolation of Russia in the field of nuclear energy and the removal of its representatives from leadership roles in international institutions. We will also raise the issue of Russia’s threats to global nuclear security, its manipulations, and its pressure on the credibility of the IAEA during the upcoming meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors.  

We call on the international community to immediately intensify pressure on Russia and hold it accountable for this and other acts of nuclear terrorism.