EBRD Says Chernobyl Containment Restoration Needs About €500 Million
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development estimates that restoring the New Safe Confinement at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant will cost roughly €500 million. After a Russian drone strike in February 2025 damaged the structure, Ukraine and international partners are arranging financing and a special fund to begin main restoration work in 2028 and complete repairs by 2030.
Key points
- The EBRD estimates the restoration will cost about €500 million, with further technical assessments still under way.
- A Russian explosive drone struck the New Safe Confinement in February 2025, causing a fire and opening a hole in the structure.
- The outer and inner shells, lifting equipment, ventilation systems and power supply were damaged.
- The IAEA reported in December 2025 that the containment had lost key safety functions, including its ability to retain radioactive materials.
- G7 countries allocated €260 million, with the EU pledging €75 million in grants and Norway providing more than €9 million.
- Ukraine and the EBRD agreed on April 27, 2026 to allocate €30 million for the first restoration phase.
- The EBRD aims to contract the main works in 2028, with repairs due to be completed by 2030.
Why it matters
The strike compromised the containment's main safety functions and its ability to retain radioactive materials. Restoring the structure requires more than €500 million, and failure to repair it could allow moisture to corrode infrastructure beneath the arch, making the management of radioactive materials more difficult and costly. Ukraine and its partners have therefore established a special fund to attract and coordinate international financing.
What happened
A Russian explosive drone hit the New Safe Confinement at the Chernobyl plant in February 2025. The attack caused a fire and breached the protective structure, damaging its outer and inner shells, lifting equipment, ventilation systems and power supply. In December 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the arch had lost its main safety functions, including the ability to retain radioactive materials, although its supporting structures and monitoring systems remained intact.
The EBRD estimates that restoring the containment will cost approximately €500 million, though technical assessments are continuing. It is seeking foreign funding and aims to conclude contracts and begin the main restoration works in 2028, with the work lasting about two years and repairs required by 2030. G7 countries have provided €260 million, the EU has pledged €75 million in grants, Norway has committed more than €9 million, and Germany plans to provide up to €50 million. Ukraine and the EBRD agreed in April 2026 to allocate €30 million for the first stage of restoration.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting emphasizes the need to restore the containment, mobilize foreign financing and potentially include the costs in Ukraine's future war reparations against Russia. It also details the consequences of the strike for the structure's equipment, ventilation and power systems, as well as its ability to protect radioactive materials.
How international sources describe it
International coverage highlights the role of the EBRD and other partners in financing and organizing the restoration through a dedicated account. It stresses that the project depends on foreign funding and that the EBRD does not expect Russia to contribute.
Background
The sarcophagus protects the remains of the fourth reactor, which exploded in 1986. Approximately 46 countries contributed to the original international fundraising effort for the New Safe Confinement. In March 2025, €400,000 was allocated from the international Chernobyl cooperation programme to study the damage. The costs of restoration could potentially be recovered through future reparations claims by Ukraine.