The director of the Chernobyl nuclear power station is warning that damage from a Russian strike could cause the plant’s internal radiation shelter to collapse, raising fears about renewed radioactive risk at the site of the 1986 disaster. In remarks to the AFP news agency, Sergiy Tarakanov said the shelter could be critically compromised if hit directly or even if shaken by nearby explosions. “If a missile or drone hits it directly or even falls somewhere nearby, for example, an Iskander, God forbid, it will cause a mini-earthquake in the area,” he said. “No one can guarantee that the shelter facility will remain standing after that. That is the main threat.” The warning follows an earlier strike that punched a hole in the outer radiation shell, prompting the International Atomic Energy Agency to say the structure had “lost its primary safety functions.” Tarakanov said radiation levels at the site nevertheless remain “stable and within normal limits.” The Chernobyl plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident, was seized by Russian forces at the start of Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine before being abandoned weeks later. The latest warning comes as Russia continues its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. At least three people, including a 4-year-old, were killed in the Zhytomyr region during the latest strikes on Tuesday morning.
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