According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the new sarcophagus over the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has lost its main safety functions.
“The new sarcophagus has lost its main safety functions, but the IAEA mission also found that its supporting structures or monitoring systems have not suffered irreversible damage“, the agency said in a statement.
IAEA experts recommended continuing work on the restoration and protection of the new sarcophagus.
In February, a video of a drone strike on the sarcophagus of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant appeared on the Internet. Ukrainian media reported at the time that the sarcophagus had been attacked by a combat drone, and Kiev blamed Moscow.
IAEA officials inspected the site of the explosion and found that the drone had punched a hole in the roof of the protective structure with a diameter of approximately six meters.
The structure of the building was undamaged, and radiation levels remained normal.