Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that a Russian drone had struck a cover built to contain radiation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, adding that “radiation levels have not increased”.
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The Ukrainian air force said that Russia had launched more than 100 drones across the country overnight – including attack drones – targeting northern regions of the country where the Chernobyl power plant lies.
“Last night, a Russian attack drone with a high-explosive warhead struck the cover protecting the world from radiation at the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant,” Zelensky said in a social media post.
The comments came just hours before Zelensky was to meet with US Vice-President J.D. Vance in Germany to lay out Ukraine’s case before a new US administration eager to quickly end the nearly three-year war.
The attack is evidence that Russian President Vladimir “Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations – he is preparing to continue deceiving the world”, Zelensky said.
CCTV footage posted by the Ukrainian leader showed a blast on the side of the Chernobyl structure in footage that was timestamped 2.02am.