Chernobyl power plant chief says there's possible radioactive leak after attack

Officials at Chernobyl have revealed they are investigating a potential radioactive leak following a drone attack recently.

Oleksandr Titarchuk, the chief engineer of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant spoke to Ukrinform, who is at the site of the Russian attack in Chernobyl. They revealed: "There is now a possibility of a leak of radioactive substances, but the situation is under control." Today a Russian drone carrying a warhead struck the protective cover of Chernobyl nuclear plant.

The strike happened at 2.02am this morning (Friday 14), with a huge explosion on top of the cover seen for miles around. A fireball was spotted shooting into the air, with sparks also seen flying as bits of the reinforced metal cover flew off.

The accusation of a Russian drone came today from Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid Donald Trump’s attempts to broker a peace agreement in the three-year war.

The drone caused a huge explosion on the roof of the abandoned nuclear plant, bursting into a fire, as seen in pictures published by local media outlets. Zelenskyy had said the blaze had been extinguished and radiation was normal, but continued monitoring suggests the worst could yet come.

Ukraine military officials released the CCTV footage of the attack, which showed when Russian drones attacked the site. The strike happened at 2.02am this morning, with a huge explosion on top of the cover seen – and heard – for miles.

A huge fireball engulfed the area, as well as molten metal being thrown in several directions. The attack left behind a gaping hole in the roof of the building, which some officials could think puts the area at danger of radioactive leaks.

It has not been confirmed if this was the drone or the warhead yet, however. No comment has been made by Russia, however, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “A Russian strike drone with a high-explosive warhead hit the shelter that protects the world from the radiation of the destroyed 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant this night."

There is still radioactive activity present in the Chernobyl area, although the levels have significantly decreased since the 1986 disaster. The exclusion zone around the plant remains highly contaminated and access is restricted due to the lingering radiation levels – which may have been hit with the drone.

Officials are still monitoring the damage. Currently, about 130 to 150 people live in the exclusion zone, mainly women in their 70s and 80. Many have not left since the original disaster.