On June 11, a bilateral meeting took place between Oleh Bondarenko, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, and Balthasar Lindauer, Director of the Nuclear Safety Department at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
At the outset of the meeting, the Committee Chair expressed his gratitude to the leadership of the EBRD Nuclear Safety Department for their fruitful cooperation and the bank's ongoing efforts to mobilize funds from donor countries. These measures are aimed at mitigating the negative consequences of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) strike on the structure of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) Arch.
Furthermore, Oleh Bondarenko assured that the Committee and Parliament would provide full assistance to support the operations of the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA) and the Nuclear Safety Account (NSA) in Ukraine.
At the same time, the Committee Chair expressed grave concern over the June 7, 2026, strike by a russian attack drone on the container reception building of the Centralized Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility near the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
For his part, Mr. Lindauer provided an update on the status of project implementation under the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account.
He announced that pursuant to the Grant Agreement concluded between the EBRD and the Chornobyl NPP State Specialized Enterprise in 2025, preparations are underway to award a contract to UTEM-Engineering LLC. This contract will cover the execution of priority temporary measures aimed at mitigating the negative consequences of the uncrewed aerial vehicle strike on the New Safe Confinement Arch structure.
Mr. Lindauer further informed that on April 26, 2026, a Grant Agreement was signed between the EBRD and the Chornobyl NPP State Specialized Enterprise to carry out repair and restoration work on the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant following the russian military attack on February 14, 2025.
He noted that the effective implementation of this project requires a consolidated approach at both the Government and Parliamentary levels.
During the meeting, the participants discussed the necessity for the Government to submit a draft law amending the State Program on the Decommissioning of the Chornobyl NPP and the Transformation of the "Shelter" Facility into an Environmentally Safe System.
In closing, Oleh Bondarenko reiterated the unwavering support of the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, emphasizing the Parliament of Ukraine's readiness to actively advocate among donor governments. This advocacy aims to encourage foreign parliaments to pass resolutions securing additional funding to restore the New Safe Confinement, thereby ensuring radiation safety not only for Ukraine but for the entire European Union.