• Russian drone attacks a nuclear fuel storage facility near Chornobyl.
• No increase in radiation detected post-strike, according to authorities.
• President Zelenskyy condemns the attack as "extremely vile."
• International Atomic Energy Agency to assess the damage at the site.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned a recent strike by a Russian drone on a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel located near the Chornobyl power plant, referring to it as an "extremely vile" attack. The drone strike caused significant damage to a fuel-reception building but did not lead to any immediate increase in radiation levels, which remain within normal limits according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Ukraine's state atomic agency Reuters, India Times, and Al Jazeera.

The attack on June 7, 2026, occurred about 15 kilometers from the Chornobyl plant, the site of the catastrophic 1986 nuclear disaster. Zelenskyy noted that the facility was not storing any spent nuclear fuel at the time and emphasized the recklessness of Russia's actions. "As of now, there are no readings exceeding normal background radiation levels," he stated, while also warning about an apparent increase in Russian aggression towards critical infrastructure Reuters, India Times, and Al Jazeera.

The IAEA has been informed about the drone strike and plans to send a team to inspect the site for further assessment of the damage. This strike is part of an ongoing series of Russian assaults on Ukrainian infrastructure, with the use of drones being a tactic that has been utilized frequently since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022. In a prior incident, Russian forces had used a drone to damage a structure covering the Chornobyl reactor in February 2025 Reuters, India Times, and Al Jazeera.

Ukrainian authorities have expressed serious concerns about the implications of such attacks on nuclear safety and security in the region, labeling them part of a systemic pattern of Russian strategy that threatens critical infrastructure. "This is not the first time Russian forces are putting Ukrainian nuclear facilities at risk," said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, highlighting the broader context of Russian military actions in Ukrainian territory Reuters, India Times, and Al Jazeera.