Published on: 2026-09-10
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 10, 2026 Peace and Security
The drone strike on the protective structure of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant could have endangered the safety of millions of people. This was stated by the head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Alexander De Croo, speaking to journalists via video link from Kyiv.
De Croo is in Ukraine on a working visit, primarily focused on the restoration of energy infrastructure and preparing the country for the fifth winter amid full-scale war.
Safety of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
On the eve, De Croo visited the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and went inside the protective structure over the fourth reactor unit, which was destroyed in 1986. He saw with his own eyes the consequences of the drone strike that occurred the day before.
“Anyone who strikes such defensive structures located over nuclear facilities is playing with the safety of millions of people. A nuclear facility must never become a target. There can be no excuses and no ambiguity here. This must stop,” said the head of the UNDP.
According to him, official information about the origin of the drone will become known as a result of the investigation. At the same time, representatives of the military guarding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant told him that Russian drones fly over the facility daily.
“Whether this strike was intentional or accidental, it is unacceptable. Preventing drone flights over this site is one way to avert such incidents,” said De Croo.
Solar power plant
During the visit to Chernobyl, the head of UNDP also participated in the opening of a new solar power plant. The project was carried out with the support of Lithuania and Japan, in cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities and with technical assistance from UNDP. The power plant will supply energy to the cooling systems of the fourth reactor.
Restoration of the energy system: better than before
Energy became one of the main topics of De Croo’s visit. Over four years, UNDP has attracted $1.3 billion to assist the people of Ukraine, with the largest area of its work being the restoration of the energy system. Thanks to this support, 6.6 million people have access to electricity.
At the same time, according to the head of the UNDP, not only former facilities are being restored. Ukraine is gradually transitioning to a more sustainable and decentralized energy system, which is harder to disable with a single strike. Electricity, he emphasized, means much more than light in homes: schools, hospitals, water supplies, and other vital services depend on it. However, about half of the country’s energy infrastructure has already been damaged by attacks, and the upcoming winter promises to be extremely harsh.
“We are doing everything possible to help 6.6 million people. But it is quite obvious that today this is not enough,” admitted De Croo.
“The front line is everywhere”
While in Kyiv, the head of UNDP constantly hears air raid sirens – according to him, sometimes they sound as often as every two hours and continue throughout the night. During his visit, there were reports of strikes on a bus stop, a gas station, a food industry enterprise, and a business center near the hotel from which he spoke.
De Croo noted that over the past two weeks, the intensity of attacks has increased. According to him, they stopped for only two days when American representatives participating in negotiations with the Ukrainian authorities were in Kyiv, and then intensified again.
“Previously, the eastern part of the country was considered the front line. Today, the front line is everywhere,” he said.
The head of UNDP warned that constant alarms and attacks are exhausting people. According to him, admiration for the resilience of Ukrainians should not overshadow the price they pay for living under such conditions.
“We always talk about resilience, but resilience also has its limits,” said De Croo.
He emphasized that civilians and civilian infrastructure cannot be legitimate targets, and all such cases must be documented and investigated so that the guilty parties do not evade responsibility.
UNDP will continue to assist Ukraine
Despite the danger, UNDP does not intend to postpone reconstruction until the end of the war. However, a full-scale reconstruction of the country will take many years. According to the latest estimate by the World Bank and UN agencies, the cost of repairing the war damage already exceeds 600 billion dollars.
“Restoring infrastructure does not wait for the end of the war. We have been doing this since the very beginning of the war and, despite it, we will continue this work,” De Croo said.
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