The protective shield that covers the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine has "lost safety function" following a drone strike in February, the UN nuclear watchdog has said.

The shield, which was completed by a Europe-led initiative in 2019 at a cost of €1.5 billion and covers the original concrete sarcophagus, was punctured in February in a Russian Shahed drone strike, Ukrainian prosecutors said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said during an inspection last week that the drone impact had degraded the steel structure.

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IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that an inspection "confirmed that the (protective structure) had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found

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