Millions of euros to the rescue. Fundraising for the repair of the Chernobyl reactor shield is underway

On Monday, a conference on repairing the damaged Chernobyl reactor shield was held in Paris. The event gathered representatives of governments, international organizations and financial institutions who jointly sought solutions to one of the most serious nuclear security challenges.

Let us recall that in 2025, a Russian drone attack seriously violated the New Security Shell - a huge steel structure that has been covering the remains of the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl power plant for years.

278 million euros already pledged

According to Benjamin Haddad, Minister Delegated for Europe at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the total confirmed financial commitments for the repair of the reactor shield currently amount to EUR 278 million. This is already more than half of the estimated EUR 500 million that is necessary to restore the full functionality and safety of the structure. The minister emphasized that this amount may increase further as new declarations of support continue to arrive.

During the conference, French Minister of Economy Roland Lescure emphasized that donors have until spring 2027 to collect the entire required amount. We need to continue this work and expand the group of donors, Lescure appealed. France has already pledged EUR 40 million for this purpose, setting an example for other countries and organizations.

The key role of international cooperation

The conference in Paris was aimed not only at raising funds, but also at presenting the latest technical assessments regarding the repair of the shield and developing an action strategy for the coming months. The event was co-organized by the government of Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which from the beginning has been calling for broad international support for rebuilding the New Security Shell.