The US has made a decision on Chernobyl. Department of State announces
The State Department announced Wednesday its intention to allocate “up to $100 million in available foreign assistance funds” as part of G7 efforts to ensure continued safeguards of fissile materials at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The Department of State's announcement said that without repairs, the structure would not be able to provide adequate protection, “which raises the specter of a dangerous leak of highly radioactive material in Europe.”
The cost of the renovation is estimated at approximately EUR 500 million. The United States will cover 20 percent. amounts. The ministry also called on the remaining G7 countries and European partners to make significant financial commitments.
The Chernobyl power plant disaster
The disaster at the Chernobyl power plant occurred on April 26, 1986. The explosion of the fourth reactor led to the contamination of parts of the territories of Ukraine and Belarus. Radioactive substances also reached Scandinavia, Central Europe, including Poland, and the south of the continent – to Greece and Italy.
People are still prohibited from settling in the zone around Chernobyl. Before the start of the full-scale war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine, the so-called zone was open to tourists. Currently, it is a closed area strictly controlled by the military.
At the beginning of the Russian invasion, Russian troops occupied the plant from February 24 to March 31, 2022. They withdrew when plans to quickly capture Kiev failed.
