Ukrainian emergency services have confirmed the discovery of Shahed drone debris at the site of a Russian strike on the shelter of Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
The attack, which occurred overnight on February 14, did not cause an increase in radiation levels, according to officials.
The remains of the drone, identified as a Shahed-136—a model widely used by Russian forces under the name Geran-2—were documented at the scene. Footage released by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service shows the wreckage, including the drone’s engine, alongside visible impact damage from the strike.
Russia has consistently used Shahed drones to target Ukraine’s critical infrastructure throughout the war. The latest attack highlights an ongoing pattern of Russian military activity in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, a region that Moscow has previously used as a staging ground. On February 24, 2022, Russian forces launched their full-scale invasion through this area, seizing the nuclear facility in the early days of the war.
This is not the first time Russian forces have directed drones into the Chernobyl Zone. Over the past three years, reports have documented repeated drone activity in the region, raising concerns about the risks of military operations near sensitive nuclear sites.
Russia remains the only country to have attacked and occupied Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, further escalating fears over nuclear security.
The presence of Shahed drone wreckage at Chernobyl reinforces concerns about the long-term security of the region and the vulnerability of nuclear sites in wartime conditions.