On November 9, 2026, a high-level international donor conference was held in Paris to raise funds for the comprehensive restoration of the integrity and functionality of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which was damaged by a russian drone strike on 14 February 2025.

The conference was jointly organized by the governments of Ukraine and France, with the participation of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Representatives from 34 countries and international organisations took part in the event, joining both in person and online. Oleksii Budyk, Deputy Head of the State Agency for the Management of the Exclusion Zone, attended on agency’s behalf, the State Specialized Enterprise Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant was represented by Serhii Tarakanov, Director General of the plant.

During an online address, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Denys Shmyhal expressed gratitude to France for its active involvement in organizing the event, as well as to the EBRD for more than 30 years of efforts to help Ukraine improve safety at the Chornobyl NPP. He also urged partners to contribute to the fund for the restoration of the New Safe Confinement, as the stable operation of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant’s infrastructure is the cornerstone of nuclear safety across Europe.

“At the same time, russia must pay the final bill for the attack on the Chornobyl NPP. Therefore, we will work with our partners to return the funds of reconstruction from russian assets,” noted Denys Shmyhal.

Following the conference, 14 donor countries announced financial commitments of €303 million in total, which will be paid into the International Chernobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA) managed by the EBRD. Partners who have pledged their support include the European Union, Germany, France, the USA, the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Lithuania, Austria, Estonia, Canada and other countries. In particular, France, as the host country of the conference, has announced an additional contribution of €30 million. The country’s total contribution will amount to €40 million together with the €10 million previously allocated for preliminary studies of the confinement damage. This issue is one of the top priorities for French President Emmanuel Macron, as France holds the presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) this year.

New participants – countries that are not members of the G7 or the European Union have also joined the circle of donors, thereby expanding the coalition that had originally made the creation of the NSC possible. Greece, Moldova and the Netherlands have announced their intention to make their contributions in the coming months. At the same time, the ICCA will remain open to additional contributions throughout the first half of 2027.

“The international community is once again demonstrating its deep commitment to nuclear and radiation safety on the European continent, as well as its solidarity with Ukraine. The financial commitments made by our partners will help restore the full operational capacity of NSC which is truly important not only for Ukraine but for the entire world. We appreciate the EBRD, the contributor countries and all international partners for their efforts. For our part, we will do everything in our power to ensure that these efforts are used as effectively as possible,” emphasized Serhii Tarakanov.

According to preliminary estimates, the total cost of restoring the main functions of the NSC is estimated at least €500 million. The final cost of the work is not yet known, as the scope and technical solutions will be finalized following a detailed damage assessment and engineering design. It is expected that an accurate cost estimate for the project will be finalized by the end of 2027.

Upon completion of the donors’ conference in Paris, the Assembly of Contributors to the ICCA held a meeting attended by representatives of the EBRD, contributor countries, the European Commission, the IAEA and a Ukrainian delegation led by Anatolii Kutsevol, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine.

During the meeting, Oleksii Budyk, Deputy Head of the State Agency for Exclusion Zone Management, briefed international partners on the current situation in the Exclusion Zone, the challenges caused by russian military aggression, and the key areas for international cooperation in the field of nuclear and radiation safety.

Serhii Tarakanov, Director General of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, presented information on the current state in the plant’s industrial site, the consequences of the attack on the New Safe Confinement (NSC) and the efforts being made to restore its protective functions.

Particular attention was focused on the programme of preparatory work for the long-term restoration of the New Safe Confinement, which is funded by the ICCA. In September 2026, the Chornobyl NPP and the international consortium NOVARKA 2 signed a contract for the first phase of this work. The aim of this work is to obtain a more detailed assessment of the damage and to identify the necessary technical solutions.

Currently, temporary repairs of the New Safe Confinement is ongoing at the Chornobyl NPP, as well as preparatory engineering and design work to develop long-term solutions for the comprehensive restoration of its protective functions. The main restoration works are scheduled to begin in early 2028 and to be completed by the end of 2030