Russian Shahed Drone Strikes Chornobyl Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Building; IAEA Announces Emergency Site Visit — Day 1,564

At approximately 02:00 local time on June 7, 2026 (Day 1,564), a Russian Shahed-type kamikaze drone struck a fuel-reception building at the spent nuclear fuel storage facility located approximately 15 km from the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Exclusion Zone. The attack caused significant structural damage to the fuel-reception building — destroying the facade, windows, and doors — and ignited a fire of approximately 40 square meters that was subsequently extinguished. Nearby buildings were affected by the blast wave. Ukrainian state nuclear operator Energoatom confirmed that no spent nuclear fuel was physically stored inside the targeted fuel-reception building at the time of the attack. Radiation monitoring confirmed that all readings remained within normal limits, with no release of radioactive materials. Zero injuries were reported at the nuclear facility. President Zelensky condemned the attack as 'extremely vile' and an act of 'sky-high arrogance,' stating: 'Russia has no limits to its barbarism.' The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) immediately announced it would conduct an emergency site visit to assess damage. Separate Sunday attacks in other regions killed at least 4 people across Ukraine, including a minibus driver in Zaporizhzhia region and a man in Dnipropetrovsk region. The strike represented the most serious direct attack on the Chornobyl nuclear site since Russia's occupation of the Exclusion Zone (Feb 24 – April 2, 2022) and drew international condemnation. Russia has not publicly commented on the strike.