Russian officials have denied responsibility for a Shahed drone strike on the protective confinement structure at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, despite the discovery of Shahed drone debris.
The attack, captured on video, shows the moment of impact, yet the Kremlin has dismissed claims that it targets Ukraine’s nuclear energy infrastructure.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called such accusations “provocations and distortions,” contradicting physical evidence found at the site.
Ukrainian emergency services recovered fragments and the engine of a Shahed drone, a model produced in Russia with Iranian assistance under the name Geran-2.
This denial follows a similar incident in Moldova, where debris from Russian drones was presented to Moscow’s special envoy, Oleg Ozorov, as proof of Russia’s involvement in recent attacks on Moldovan territory. The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs released footage showing Ozorov’s reaction upon entering a room where the drone wreckage was displayed.
Authorities in Moldova had confiscated the drones after they crashed near the towns of Chumai and Ceadîr-Lunga on February 13. Despite being confronted with physical evidence, the Russian envoy refused to acknowledge that the drones originated from Russia, demanding further proof of his country’s involvement in the incident.
“How do you know they were Russian?” Ozorov reportedly asked journalists after being summoned by Moldovan officials for explanations regarding the attacks.
Russia has consistently disregarded international norms while denying accountability, dismissing accusations as misinformation and propaganda. The latest incident at Chernobyl further illustrates Moscow’s strategy of evasion, even in the face of concrete evidence linking it to drone strikes in Ukraine and beyond.