Drone Strike Hits Nuclear Waste Storage Site in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: What We Know So Far.

Ukraine’s Spent Nuclear Fuel Challenge

According to Espreso.tv: Until 2021, Ukraine shipped its spent nuclear fuel to Russia for processing—a costly arrangement that ran about $200 million each year. Now, the country is turning to a newly built facility to handle this material independently. The Centralized Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility (CSFSF), located near Buryakivka within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, is designed to solve this long-standing problem.

The CSFSF serves three of Ukraine’s active nuclear power plants: Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, and South Ukraine. Construction began in November 2017, and the first phase was completed in December 2020. Ukraine’s State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate issued an operating permit in April 2022, and the facility received a permanent license on May 28, 2026.

Attack on the CSFSF and Safety Response

On June 7, 2026, at 02:10, a Russian drone struck the CSFSF. The resulting fire was extinguished within an hour. Importantly, radiation levels at the site remain within normal limits, indicating no release of radioactive material and a stable situation on the ground.

The CSFSF consists of two sections:

• SFSF-1, an older 'wet' storage facility;
• SFSF-2, a more modern 'dry' storage facility.

Additionally, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant operates its own local dry storage facility. These systems are designed to safely manage spent fuel and strengthen nuclear safety across Ukraine.

Ukraine’s ability to securely store spent nuclear fuel is critical for national nuclear safety. The CSFSF was built to reduce dependence on foreign countries for waste processing and storage. This attack highlights the real risks facing Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure and underscores the urgent need for stronger security measures amid the ongoing armed conflict.