Kyiv. After the Russian attack on the Chernobyl nuclear center in Ukraine, a serious danger of radiation has arisen. Greenpeace organization has issued a strict warning regarding this. 40 years ago today, the world’s worst nuclear disaster occurred at this nuclear center. Now, on the eve of its 40th anniversary, Greenpeace has issued a serious warning. Greenpeace has said that the danger of ‘uncontrolled collapse’ of the internal radiation cell built in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has increased.
Such an accident could release highly radioactive dust into the environment, rendering decades of international safety efforts futile. In a detailed report released on April 14, Greenpeace said the strength of the steel and concrete ‘sarcophagus’ structure, hastily constructed immediately after the 1986 explosion, is rapidly deteriorating. The inner cell was supposed to be removed several years ago, but the ongoing war in Ukraine has put the process on hold indefinitely.
The remains of the Chernobyl plant are covered by two layers: the old inner steel-concrete shell (sarcophagus) and the modern, high-tech outer cell called the New Safe Confinement (NSC). Kyiv has accused Russia of repeatedly targeting the site since launching a full-scale invasion in 2022. The outer cell was also breached in an attack last year. A Greenpeace report warns that despite repairs, the New Safe Confinement’s security capabilities have not been fully restored.
“If the inner sarcophagus collapses, it will release radioactivity into the environment, which will be devastating and could lead to hundreds of deaths,” said Sean Burney, senior nuclear expert at Greenpeace Ukraine. “There are four tons of highly radioactive dust, fuel pellets, and a large amount of radioactive material inside the sarcophagus.” He added, “The New Safe Confinement is currently beyond repair, so it cannot function as designed. This poses a risk of radioactive leakage.” Greenpeace said that unstable parts of the inner cell must be removed, otherwise they could collapse uncontrollably. However, the war has made any work on the site virtually impossible. Burney said that Russia is still firing missiles over Chernobyl.
Even 40 years after the disaster, Russia is effectively waging nuclear war against the people of Ukraine and Europe. The plant’s director, Sergei Tarakanov, said the situation around the site was extremely dangerous. He warned, “Even if a rocket did not hit the safe confinement directly, but even 200 meters away, it could cause an earthquake-like effect, increasing the risk of internal collapse.” Tarakanov said the 1986 accident taught us that radioactive particles do not respect borders. Last month, France said that about 500 million euros (about Rs 4500 crore) were needed to repair Chernobyl’s safety dome after the Russian attack in 2025.
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