The EBRD has estimated the cost of restoring the Chernobyl shelter at €500 million
This has been reported by the EBRD.
The bank noted that, for decades, it has been working with international partners to fund nuclear safety measures at the Chernobyl site following the 1986 accident. In 2019, construction was completed there on the New Safe Confinement – a large arch covering the destroyed reactor unit and designed to prevent the spread of radioactive materials.
In February 2025, the structure was damaged after being struck by a Russian drone. According to the EBRD, approximately 15 square metres of cladding were punctured and around 200 square metres of steel panels were damaged. The strike also compromised the shelter’s airtightness and disabled a number of critical systems, including ventilation, climate control and some of the crane equipment required for decommissioning work.
Consequences of the strike
The EBRD noted separately that the fire following the impact lasted 17 days. To extinguish it, rescue workers drilled over 300 holes in the structure, further compromising the condition of the shelter.
The bank warned that without a full restoration of the shelter systems, there is a risk of irreversible corrosion of the steel arch by 2030. This, as the EBRD notes, would jeopardise the structure’s projected 100-year service life.
A preliminary assessment indicates that repairs will require at least €500 million. These funds are needed to restore the structural integrity of the arch, the ventilation and pressure control systems, as well as to ensure safe conditions for continuing work on the dismantling of the unstable 1986 sarcophagus.
The bank emphasised that the Chernobyl site contains around 190 tonnes of nuclear fuel debris and significant volumes of radioactive dust, which require long-term isolation.
The EBRD, together with Ukraine and the G7 countries, has called on international donors to step up funding through the International Chernobyl Cooperation Account. Its resources currently exceed €70 million, but this is insufficient for the full restoration of the site.
The bank emphasised that restoring nuclear safety at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is a critically important task for international cooperation. It was
previously reported that the sarcophagus at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, following a strike by a Russian drone, will be restored by French companies.
As a reminder, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has approved an emergency grant of €20 million for Kyiv to install containerised cogeneration units, whilst the European Union will provide an additional €2.07 million in technical assistance to upgrade the capital’s heating system. The new capacity is intended to support the city’s infrastructure during blackouts and form part of preparations for the winter of 2026–2027.
