The Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine has been thrust back into the spotlight following a drone attack on February 14, 2025, attributed to Russian forces. This incident targeted the New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure, a vital protective shell built to contain the radioactive remains of Reactor No. 4, which suffered a catastrophic explosion in 1986. Although the drone strike did not penetrate the NSC, it sparked a fire and raised alarms about the safety of the facility, which cost $2.1 billion to construct and was completed in 2019. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned that the damage could compromise the NSC's core safety functions and significantly shorten its operational lifespan. Workers at the site, many of whom have lived through the original disaster, expressed heightened fears about modern threats, with one engineer noting that the risk of contamination is now overshadowed by the dangers of war. The ongoing conflict has halted vital dismantling operations, with experts emphasizing the urgent need for repairs to prevent potential radiation exposure risks to Ukraine and beyond.