Chernobyl Nuclear Shield Damaged in Russian Drone Attack: Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky says a Russian military attack drone hit and damaged the Chernobyl nuclear power plant overnight, only hours before the Ukrainian president was due to meet with Trump administration officials in Germany to discuss possible peace negotiations. In a post on X, Zelensky said the high-explosive drone hit a steel and concrete shelter designed to prevent radiation leaks from a reactor destroyed in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. “This shelter was built by Ukraine together with other countries of Europe and the world, together with America… The only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences is today’s Russia. This is a terrorist threat to the entire world,” Zelensky wrote. He said the structure was damaged in the strike but that radiation levels had not increased. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed an explosion at around 2 a.m. on Friday. Russia denied mounting the attack. “The Russian military does not do this. Most likely, we are talking about provocation and fraud,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to The New York Times.