Nuclear Safety Authority: Damage to Chernobyl Safety Shield Has Not Increased Radiation in Serbia

SRBATOM (Photo: PrintScreen)

Serbia’s Directorate for Radiation and Nuclear Safety and Security (SRBATOM) reported on Dec. 6 that there had been no increase in radioactivity levels in the territory of Serbia.

SRBATOM issued the statement after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned that the radiation shield at the abandoned Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine had lost its safety function in a drone strike earlier this year. The directorate said no elevated radioactivity was recorded in Serbia in February 2025, following the attack.

SRBATOM will keep monitoring the situation and “provide timely public information if official updates related to the event become available.” The IAEA inspected the protective shield last week and found that the drone damage led to the deterioration of parts of the structure. The U.N. agency said the mission had confirmed that the structure has lost its “primary safety functions,” including containing radioactive material, but that there is no permanent damage to the load-bearing frame or control systems.