Ukraine accused Russia of carrying out “nuclear terrorism” after claiming a Russian drone struck a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on Sunday, June 7. Ukrainian officials said the overnight strike damaged part of the site and sparked a fire, while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned the incident is “deeply concerning.” Notably, the accusation came days after Moscow claimed Ukraine targeted the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting nuclear facility in late-night strike
In a statement posted on Facebook, Ukraine’s General Staff said an “enemy” drone struck the Container Reception Building at the Centralized Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility near Buriakivka in the Kyiv region, roughly nine miles from Chernobyl. Ukrainian authorities said the strike occurred at approximately 2:10 a.m. local time. The facility, operated by Energoatom, stores spent nuclear fuel from Ukraine’s reactors. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy and military officials, the impact caused partial structural damage and ignited a fire spanning around 40 square meters. Emergency crews reportedly extinguished the blaze within an hour, and officials said no casualties were reported. Fragments identified as parts of a Shahed-type attack drone were allegedly recovered at the scene.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky calls strike ‘extremely vile’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately targeting critical nuclear infrastructure and described the incident as “an extremely vile Russian strike.” He said emergency crews quickly contained the fire and that radiation levels remained within normal limits after the attack. The Ukrainian president added that Ukraine was briefing international partners on the incident while calling for greater pressure on Moscow.
Zelensky also linked the strike to broader Russian military activity over the past week, claiming Moscow launched 88 missiles, more than 3,250 attack drones and around 1,800 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine during that period. Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia has repeatedly launched missiles and drones near nuclear infrastructure throughout the war. “Such actions create unacceptable risks of radiation incidents with consequences that could extend far beyond Ukraine’s borders,” the military said.
IAEA warns attacks are ‘completely unacceptable’
The IAEA confirmed it had been informed of the drone strike and said the attack caused “significant damage” to the facility’s fuel reception building, including damage to the facade, windows and doors. The agency said nearby structures were also affected by the blast wave and announced that its team stationed at Chernobyl would inspect the site.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called the episode “deeply concerning.” He noted that nuclear material was stored “just meters away from the attacked building” and stressed that attacks on nuclear facilities are “completely unacceptable.” Grossi added that such incidents violate the agency’s “seven indispensable pillars” for maintaining nuclear safety and security during armed conflict.
The IAEA has been informed by Ukraine of a drone attack early this morning on the central spent fuel storage facility located in the Chornobyl exclusion zone.
The strike caused significant damage to the facility’s fuel reception building – including to the facade, windows and… pic.twitter.com/1kTDSh9JYc
— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) June 7, 2026
Russia and Ukraine trade attack accusations
The latest accusation from Ukraine came days after Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom, claimed a Ukrainian drone struck a turbine hall at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility. Kyiv denied responsibility and dismissed the allegation as Russian propaganda.