Chernobyl's radiation shield needs repair

TT

Published 10.20

 

The image shows the steel structure that encloses reactor 4 in Chernobyl after it was damaged by a Russian drone attack in February this year. Photo: Efrem Lukatsky/AP/TT

The protective structure that encloses the capsized nuclear reactor in Chernobyl is damaged.

"It has lost its primary safety functions," says Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's atomic energy agency.

The structure was damaged in a Russian drone attack in February this year and according to Grossi, its "containment capacity" is damaged. Now "extensive restoration is needed to prevent further deterioration and ensure long-term nuclear safety," according to a press release.

"There are no indications of increased emissions or immediate risks to the public and no risks to Sweden," the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority's press service wrote in an email to TT.

The structure in question is made of steel and was put in place in 2019 following a European initiative. It should not be confused with the so-called “sarcophagus,” which is the lead capsule that the Soviets had the damaged reactor enclosed in after the nuclear power plant disaster in 1986.