The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that the protective structure built to hold radioactive waste at Chernobyl can no longer fully protect the site after a drone strike damaged it earlier this year. On February 14, the giant steel arch called the New Safe Confinement (NSC), covering the destroyed No 4 reactor, was "severely damaged." This strike caused a fire and tore through the protective cladding. The IAEA said the structure has "lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability." Ukraine blames Russia for the attack, but Russia denies it. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said only "limited temporary repairs" have been made so far. He added, "Timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety." The agency confirmed there was no permanent damage to the NSC’s load-bearing structures or monitoring systems. They pledged to keep supporting Ukraine to restore full safety at Chernobyl. Chernobyl has been a focus during the nearly four-year war, especially when Russian forces took control of the plant area in early 2022 before pulling out weeks later. The NSC, finished in 2019, is the world's largest movable land structure and was designed to last 100 years. It helps with the long-term cleanup of the world's worst nuclear accident. Built at a cost of €2.1 billion, it was funded by over 45 countries through the Chernobyl Shelter Fund. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development called it "the largest international collaboration ever in the field of nuclear safety." The 1986 explosion at Chernobyl spread radioactive contamination to parts of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. More than 30 people died immediately, according to the IAEA and World Health Organization, with higher cancer and birth defect rates continuing in the affected regions.