London: Russia’s drone and missile assaults on Ukraine have frequently skirted the defunct Chernobyl nuclear facility, sharply increasing the chances of a severe incident, Ukraine’s leading prosecutor revealed to Reuters.
In written statements, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko outlined this undisclosed Russian military pattern near Ukrainian nuclear installations, timed with preparations for the 40th commemoration of the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe this Sunday.
Ukraine maintains four operational nuclear plants beyond the decommissioned Chernobyl station, notably Europe’s biggest at Zaporizhzhia in the south, under Russian control since the early days of Moscow’s 2022 invasion.
Kravchenko highlighted that Kinzhal hypersonic missiles have traversed paths over both the Chernobyl zone and western Ukraine’s two-unit Khmelnytskyi plant since hostilities began.
He reported 35 such Kinzhals were tracked within roughly 20 km (12 miles) of Chernobyl or Khmelnytskyi, including 18 that buzzed within 20 km of both facilities in single flights.
“Such launches cannot be explained by any military considerations. It is evident that the flights over the nuclear facilities are carried out solely for the purpose of intimidation and terror,” he said.
The IAEA has consistently documented military manoeuvres close to nuclear plants and assaults on essential substations critical for safety.
“IAEA Director General (Rafael) Grossi has repeatedly expressed deep concern about the risks and dangers of these military activities for nuclear safety and security,” it said.
“The DG has also repeatedly called for maximum restraint near nuclear facilities to avoid the danger of a nuclear accident.”
Kinzhal Failures and Close Calls
The air-fired Kinzhal hypersonic missile, capable of delivering a 500-kg payload, hurtles at 6,500 km/h—spanning 5 km in mere seconds.
Kravchenko detailed three occasions when Kinzhals crashed during flight, landing within 10 km of the Khmelnytskyi plant; wreckage analysis revealed no evidence of Ukrainian intercepts.
The 1986 Chernobyl blast dispersed radiation continent-wide, forcing the Soviet regime to deploy massive resources for cleanup. Its final reactor ceased operations in 2000.
Russian troops seized Chernobyl for more than a month at the invasion’s outset, aiming for Kyiv, prior to their pullback.
From July 2024 onward, amid intensified Russian drone campaigns, Ukrainian radars logged at least 92 drones entering a 5-km perimeter around Chernobyl’s radiation containment structure.
This “New Safe Confinement” encases the exploded Reactor No. 4 from the April 26, 1986, inferno.
Kravchenko emphasized the true drone count is “almost certainly much higher,” as radar signatures can mask multiples or omit stealthy craft entirely.
“Deliberate flights of (drones) with a powerful warhead over a nuclear facility are at least extremely irresponsible and indicate a complete disregard … for the safety of civilians not only in Ukraine, but throughout Europe,” he said.
Containment Breach Aftermath
Last February, Ukraine pinpointed a Russian long-range drone that slammed into Chernobyl, breaching the radiation shield.
Moscow dismissed any role, insisting its forces spare nuclear sites and alleging a Ukrainian self-inflicted “provocation.”
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development pegs repairs at a minimum 500 million euros ($588 million), warning of “irreversible corrosion” absent intervention within four years.
Ukrainian prosecutors’ probe concluded the hit was likely deliberate, Kravchenko said, based on the drone’s sharp impact trajectory—consistent with diving, explosive-laden one-way drones accelerating to strike.
He suggested Russian forces route drones via Chernobyl to dodge thick Ukrainian air defenses.
With defenses thinly spread over territory double Italy’s size, Ukraine prioritizes urban centers and vital assets for optimal counterstrikes.
Chernobyl, under 10 km from Belarus and about 100 km north of Kyiv, sits amid a vast contaminated exclusion zone.
