Russia must compensate for the latest damage caused, EU says on 40th anniversary of Chornobyl Power Plant

On the fortieth anniversary of the disaster at the Chornobyl Power Plant, the European Union called on Russia “to immediately cease all attacks on nuclear facilities in Ukraine and to comply with the Seven Indispensable Pillars for Nuclear Safety and Security during an armed conflict”. 

A statement by the European Commission and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, released on 25 April, on the eve of the anniversary, described the Chornobyl explosion as “one of the gravest nuclear disasters in human history”. 

“Its true toll, long obscured by Soviet secrecy, has only become clearer over time. To this day, its legacy remains a stark reminder that ensuring nuclear safety depends on transparency, robust safeguards and international cooperation,” the statement reads. “Yet today, Moscow’s relentless strikes on Chornobyl’s ‘New Safe Confinement’, the structure built to contain the remains of reactor 4, undermine decades of international efforts and investment amounting to €2.1 billion, to mitigate the consequences of the disaster.”

At the same time, Russia’s illegal seizure and continued occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear facility in Europe, “significantly increased the risk to human life and environmental protection”. Equally, Moscow’s systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure threaten the stable power supply required for the safe operation of nuclear facilities, the statement says.

“Russia will be held accountable for putting public safety in danger, must compensate for the damage caused, and return full control of the Zaporizhzhia plant to Ukraine,” the statement says.

The European Union has long supported nuclear safety, nuclear security and radiation protection in Ukraine by providing over €1 billion in financing. The EU has also been the largest donor to the international funds managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to make the Chornobyl site environmentally safe.

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