Ukraine’s National Chernobyl Museum has been destroyed by Russian airstrikes that have taken place last Saturday night. in what consisted one of the largest airstrikes against Kyiv during the war.
The National Chernobyl Museum served to commemorate the 1986 explosion of the Soviet-built nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, the worst nuclear disaster in European history. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later said that around 40% of the museum’s exhibits had been lost as a result of the Russian attack. Ukrainian officials and cultural organisations described the strike as another assault not only on civilian infrastructure, but also on Ukrainian memory and historical truth.
The Chernobyl Museum was not the only cultural site damaged during the attack. Ukrainian officials said several architectural and cultural landmarks in Kyiv were hit, including the National Art Museum and other historic buildings. The attack also damaged residential areas, schools, a water facility and public infrastructure across Kyiv.
Russia has deliberately targeted Ukraine’s cultural heritage throughout the war, destroying or damaging museums, theatres, printing facilities, churches, libraries and historic buildings. UNESCO has verified damage to 527 cultural sites in Ukraine as of 13 May 2026, including 153 religious sites, 39 museums, 21 libraries and 276 buildings of historical or artistic interest.
The assault on the Chernobyl Museum also follows a previous Russian drone strike against the actual Chernobyl nuclear site. In February 2025, a Russian drone hit the New Safe Confinement structure built over Reactor No. 4, damaging the protective shield covering the remains of the reactor that exploded in 1986. Ukraine later allocated more than €31 million for repair works to improve safety at the site.
The Chernobyl disaster remains one of the most important historical symbols of Soviet state failure, technological negligence and authoritarian secrecy. Russia’s war has now struck both the physical site of the disaster and the museum dedicated to preserving its memory.
Meanwhile, Russia has continued its daily drone and missile attacks against Ukrainian cities. After the massive strike on Kyiv, Russian attacks continued across other regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv, as Moscow maintains its campaign against Ukrainian civilians, infrastructure and public life. Ukraine has continued calling for stronger air-defence support from its allies as Russian attacks grow larger and more frequent.
Newsroom
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