The UK government has announced £17 million in new funding to help repair the protective shelter at Ukraine’s Chornobyl nuclear power plant, which was damaged by a Russian drone strike in 2025.
The commitment was announced on Thursday 15 October 2026 by Chancellor John Healey and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. It will contribute to an international repair programme coordinated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), working with Ukraine and other G7 partners.
Repairs to protective shelter and ventilation
The funding is intended to restore the damaged structure’s confinement and ventilation functions and help preserve its intended lifespan. The structure, known as the New Safe Confinement, encloses the remains of the reactor destroyed in the 1986 nuclear disaster.
According to the government, failure to carry out the repairs could allow corrosion to undermine the structure, creating longer-term environmental and nuclear-safety risks. The announcement is a funding commitment towards the repairs, not confirmation that the work has been completed or that the UK contribution covers the full cost.
International response to damage from 2025 strike
The UK says its contribution will form part of an internationally coordinated programme, rather than a standalone British construction project. Chornobyl’s own management confirmed the pledge and said Ukraine and its partners continue efforts to secure the funding needed for restoration.
The UK government attributes the damage to a Russian drone strike last year. The funding announcement follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Downing Street on 14 October, although the £17 million commitment was announced separately the following day.
Government links nuclear safety to support for Ukraine
The Chancellor said the government remained committed to supporting Ukraine and its reconstruction, while the Foreign Secretary reaffirmed Britain’s backing for Kyiv. Ministers also pointed to continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as a reason for maintaining international support.
Britain was a founding donor to the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account in 2020. The government says the new pledge builds on earlier contributions to the site’s long-term safety.