Ukraine, EBRD sign $35M deal for Chernobyl confinement restoration

Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed a €30 million (approximately $35 million) agreement on Sunday for the first stage of restoring the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement, which is designed to prevent the release of radioactive contaminants. Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that partners also made initial pledges totaling nearly €100 million (about $117 million) during the Chernobyl International Conference on Recovery and Nuclear Safety.

Funds for nuclear safety

“These funds will be directed toward restoring the safe confinement at the Chornobyl NPP and strengthening nuclear safety in Ukraine,” Shmyhal wrote on the US-based social media platform X. He stated that preliminary estimates put the total cost of restoring and strengthening the confinement’s safety after a Russian drone strike in February 2025 at approximately €500 million ($585 million). Following the conference, 24 countries adopted a joint statement supporting Ukraine’s efforts to mobilize resources for the restoration.

Zelenskyy meets IAEA chief on Chernobyl anniversary

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi on the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. Zelenskyy emphasized the “unacceptability of formalizing and legitimizing Russia’s presence at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” and discussed temporary shutdowns of nuclear units and their potential consequences. He stressed that the plant must be returned to Ukraine’s licensed operator and nuclear regulator. Ukraine has accused Russia of striking the Chernobyl structure in February 2025, a claim Moscow denies.