Kyiv [Ukraine]: The main barrier constructed to contain radioactive material at the Chernobyl nuclear accident site can no longer fully perform its task after a drone strike earlier this year, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

The agency noted that the New Safe Confinement (NSC) was "severely damaged" during a February attack and has "lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability." Ukraine alleged that Russian forces were responsible for the February 14 incident, while the Kremlin rejected the charge.

The strike triggered a blaze and damaged exterior panels of the structure, originally installed to stabilise conditions at the site decades after the world's worst nuclear power plant disaster. The IAEA has called for extensive repairs to the stee

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