G7 countries pledge 260 million euros to repair Chornobyl safety infrastructure damaged in Russian attack

The Group of Seven (G7) nations have committed 260 million euros ($292 million) to assist in repairing the Chornobyl Nuclear Plant's safety infrastructure, following a Russian attack, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced on October 15. The G7 nations, comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, expressed deep concern over the nuclear safety risks stemming from the assault.

They pledged to pool resources to restore the New Safe Confinement, a colossal steel structure erected in 2016 to safeguard the remnants of the reactor unit that exploded during the 1986 Chornobyl disaster.

The New Safe Confinement, situated approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Kyiv, suffered substantial damage in February 2025 when a Russian drone struck it. Russian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as a terrorist threat to the entire world. The breach compromised the structure's inner and outer protective layers, damaged vital systems, and severely jeopardized its two core functions: containing radioactive material and facilitating the safe dismantling of the unstable original sarcophagus over Reactor Four.

The EBRD estimates that repairing the structure will require 500 million euros ($561 million), and the restoration must be finished by 2030 to mitigate corrosion and uphold the structure's 100-year design life. The site was previously briefly occupied by Russian forces during the onset of the full-scale invasion, resulting in significant risks to nuclear safety.

On March 31, 2022, Russian troops withdrew from the station. However, the occupation resulted in higher radiation levels due to the movement of heavy machinery that disturbed contaminated dust.