France has provided €10 million to the Chernobyl Fund managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This funding will help repair the protective shelter over the fourth reactor of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which was recently damaged by a Russian drone strike.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance shared this information in an official statement.
The French donation was announced at a meeting of the EBRD’s Chernobyl International Cooperation Account Donor Assembly. The agreement was signed in London by Pierre Heilbronn, Special Envoy of the French President for Ukraine’s Reconstruction, and Mark Bowman, EBRD Vice President for Policy and Partnerships.
Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Finance, Olga Zykova, expressed deep gratitude for France’s support. She said the donation strengthens not only Ukraine’s nuclear safety but also global security. Zykova highlighted the importance of moving from emergency responses to long-term solutions for Chornobyl’s safety.
The Chernobyl International Cooperation Account was created in 2020 to help donors work together on solving complex problems at the Chornobyl site. Its main tasks include dismantling dangerous parts of the old shelter, repairing and maintaining the new protective structure, and managing radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the fund’s mission has expanded. It now also focuses on restoring safety and protection systems at Chornobyl, which have been damaged during the conflict.
The recent drone strike caused serious damage to the shelter over reactor four. Experts expect the full cost of repairs to exceed €100 million, much higher than the current resources available.
So far, the fund holds more than €19 million. Since its creation, it has raised over €26 million from international donors.
This funding boost follows a Russian attack on February 14. On that day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Russian forces had struck the Chornobyl plant using a drone armed with a high-explosive warhead. The attack caused significant damage to the protective shelter, raising global concerns about nuclear safety.
