France Donates €10m for Chornobyl Shelter Repair After Russian Drone Attack
France has announced a €10 million contribution to the EBRD's Chornobyl Fund, which will further finance the repair of the protective shelter over Chornobyl's fourth power unit, damaged by a Russian drone.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance.
French representatives announced the contribution during a meeting of the Donor Assembly of the International Cooperation Account for Chornobyl.
The agreement on the contribution was signed in London by Pierre Elbrun, the French President's Special Envoy for Economic Assistance and Reconstruction for Ukraine, and Mark Bowman, the EBRD's Vice President for Policy and Partnerships.
The International Cooperation Account for Chornobyl, established by the EBRD in 2020, supports interaction with donors to address Chornobyl issues in a comprehensive manner.
It aims, among other things, to support Ukraine in overcoming the complex challenges of dismantling the unstable structures of the shelter over Chornobyl Unit 4, carrying out repairs to ensure the safe operation of the new protective shelter, and managing radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.
With the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion, the scope of the fund's activities expanded to include measures aimed at restoring nuclear safety and protection of the Chornobyl NPP.
Given the extent of the damage to the New Safe Harbour over Unit 4, the cost of restoration is expected to be substantial and far exceed the resources currently available. The total cost of the full restoration of the New Safe Confinement may exceed EUR 100 million. The fund currently has more than €19 million on its account.
As The Gaze reported earlier, on the night of 14 February, a Russian attack drone with an explosive warhead hit a shelter over the 4th power unit of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, destroyed in 1986.