G7 nations to provide EUR 260 mln for urgent repairs to Chornobyl NPP containment structure following Russian drone attack

The G7 nations have pledged EUR 260 million to urgently repair the New Safe Confinement structure at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Ukraine, following a Russian drone attack in February 2025, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced. The EBRD expressed gratitude to the G7 for their ongoing support of nuclear safety at Chornobyl and jointly called for international contributions at a donor conference in Paris on November 9, 2026, co-chaired by France, Ukraine, and the EBRD.

The G7 finance ministers' decision came during the IMF and World Bank autumn meetings in Bangkok, where they highlighted their deep concerns over nuclear safety risks stemming from the Russian attack. The G7 nations pledged to mobilize funds for the containment structure's restoration and urged other international partners to aid in covering the remaining financial needs.

Preliminary estimates suggest that repairing the damage and restoring full functionality will require at least EUR 500 million, with the process needing to be completed by 2030 to prevent steel arch corrosion and maintain the structure's 100-year design life. The New Safe Confinement was severely damaged by the drone attack on February 14, 2025, breaching its inner and outer cladding, affecting critical systems, and compromising its primary functions of containing radioactive material and facilitating the safe dismantling of Reactor Four's unstable sarcophagus.

The EBRD has been leading global efforts to stabilize and manage risks at Chornobyl since 1995, mobilizing over EUR 2.5 billion in international contributions, including significant support from the G7 nations, and providing over EUR 700 million of its own resources for nuclear safety and decommissioning projects at the site. The Bank is now spearheading international efforts to restore the New Safe Confinement's full functionality and secure the necessary funding for urgent repairs.