Russian drone hits Kyiv nuclear research institute, reactor undamaged
A drone struck the grounds of Kyiv's Institute for Nuclear Research overnight, but the shut-down research reactor was not damaged and radiation levels did not change, regulators said.
A Russian drone struck the grounds of Ukraine's Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv overnight on 30 September, close to the facility's VVR-M research reactor, Ukraine's State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate said, according to Suspilne and cited by APA Azerbaijan. A fire that broke out was extinguished, the regulator said.
The reactor itself and its safety-critical systems were not damaged, and no change in radiation levels was recorded, the inspectorate said. The reactor has been shut down since February 2022, with all fuel elements removed from its core, and its operation is limited to maintenance of safety-related systems, Hungarian outlet Népszava reported, citing Hungary's MTI news agency.
The strike came two days after a separate Russian drone attack hit the main building of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences, elsewhere in Kyiv, killing two researchers, Romanian outlet Libertatea reported. That earlier attack was covered in its own published report; no casualties have been reported from Thursday's strike on the nuclear institute.
Kyiv's schools and research sites have been repeatedly targeted during the war. One in three of the capital's 334 education facilities has been hit by Russian strikes since the invasion began, and a quarter of those have been hit more than once, Olena Fidanian, head of Kyiv's education department, told hromadske.
What we know
- A Russian drone struck the grounds of Kyiv's Institute for Nuclear Research overnight on 30 September, Ukraine's nuclear regulator said.
- The VVR-M research reactor and its safety systems were undamaged, and radiation levels did not change, the regulator said.
- A fire that broke out at the site was extinguished.
- The reactor has been shut down since February 2022 and holds no nuclear fuel.
- A separate strike two days earlier killed two researchers at the National Academy of Sciences' main building elsewhere in Kyiv.
Why it matters for Europe
Kyiv's research and education institutions have become recurring targets in Russia's drone and missile campaign against the capital. Even though Thursday's strike caused no radiological risk, because the reactor has sat empty of fuel since the start of the full-scale invasion, a strike this close to a nuclear facility underlines the risks Ukraine's atomic safety regulators face in assessing each attack.
Sources
Reported by 7 reports from 7 independent outlets in 4 countries.
- APA Azerbaijan: KİV: Rusiya Kiyevdə Nüvə Tədqiqatları İnstitutuna dron zərbəsi endirib
- 24 Kanal: Деякі уражені кілька разів: скільки закладів освіти Києва зазнали атак росіян
- Népszava: Nukleáris kutatóreaktort támadtak az oroszok Kijevben
- Novaya Gazeta Europe: Обычная жизнь при непрерывной тревоге
- Libertatea: Rusia a atacat Institutul de Cercetare Nucleară din Kiev, după ce a omorât doi cercetători la Academia Națională de Științe a Ucrainei
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Questions and answers
- Was the nuclear reactor damaged?
- No. Ukraine's nuclear regulator said the VVR-M research reactor and its safety-critical systems were undamaged and radiation levels did not change.
- Were there any casualties?
- None have been reported from this strike. A separate attack two days earlier killed two researchers at a different Academy of Sciences building in Kyiv.
- Why wasn't the reactor active?
- It has been shut down since February 2022, with all fuel removed from its core, and is limited to safety-system maintenance.
This article was written with AI assistance from 6 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.