Lithuania commits 2 million euros to repair Chernobyl shelter

Lithuania will contribute 2 million euros to repair the new protective shelter at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, LRT reported. The government approved the funding on Wednesday, assigning it to the Finance Ministry to pay into a financial mechanism administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The shelter, which is designed to isolate radioactive materials and support the safe decommissioning of the plant, was damaged in a Russian drone attack in February last year. Ukraine said radiation levels did not rise after the attack.

Initial estimates suggest repairs could cost at least 500 million euros. The shelter’s main protective functions are expected to be restored by 2030. Because the funding was not included in the budget, Lithuania will use borrowed state funds.

In 1986, one of the plant’s reactors exploded during a failed safety test, causing the world’s largest nuclear accident. Radioactive clouds spread across much of Europe, and tens of thousands of people were evacuated. A large concrete and steel structure, known as a sarcophagus, was later built over the reactor to contain radiation.