U.S. Joins G7, Pledges $100m to Repair Chernobyl Nuclear Shelter in Northern Ukraine After Drone Strike
Following damage to the containment structure at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in northern Ukraine, the United States has pledged up to $100 million to support repair works.
The funding is expected to cover nearly one-fifth of the total repair cost, estimated at about 500 million euros ($580 million), according to France, which currently holds the presidency of the Group of Seven (G7). France had earlier called on fellow members of the group of major industrial democracies to contribute to the financing.
The U.S. State Department said President Donald Trump’s administration would work with Congress to secure the funds, describing the move as consistent with Washington’s continued leadership on nuclear safety and non-proliferation.
It also urged other G7 and European partners to make substantial financial commitments to share the burden of the repair work.
“We call upon our G7 and European partners to follow suit and make substantial financial commitments to share the burden of these essential repairs”, the State Department said.
The Chernobyl site remains the location of one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters, after a reactor explosion in 1986 when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union. The accident released radioactive material across Europe and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.
In 2016, a massive steel containment structure was installed over the damaged reactor, funded through international contributions of about 2.1 billion euros, to prevent further radiation leaks.
However, in February 2025, a Russian drone strike reportedly damaged the structure, creating a large hole in its outer protective shell.
The U.S. statement did not directly blame Russia, instead describing the incident as damage sustained “in a drone strike during the senseless ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine”.
Russia had seized the Chernobyl plant at the start of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine before later withdrawing. Since then, Ukraine has accused Moscow of repeatedly endangering nuclear facilities, warning that such attacks could trigger a wider environmental catastrophe.
