Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Andy Burnham in Downing Street (Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham is sending £17 million to a Chernobyl power plant hit by a Russian drone attack, it has been announced. Britain will fund critical repairs to the plant as the PM sought to bolster support for Ukraine amid “dark and difficult days” for the war-torn country.
The money that Britain is providing will reportedly help restore its protective shelter and ventilation, which were damaged by an attack last year.
It comes amid concerns that corrosion could create longer-term environmental and safety risks. Chancellor John Healey said the Government’s commitment to the Ukrainian people was “unshakeable”, while Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said Britain will “stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and will do so until they prevail”.
It comes after the Prime Minister hosted Volodymyr Zelensky in Downing Street on Wednesday, October 15 when he told the Ukrainian president the UK was “behind you and that will not change”.
Get the latest politics news – straight from our team in Westminster and more
Invalid email
You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info.
Zelensky was welcomed to London on Wednesday (Image: Getty)
Mr Zelensky received an unprecedented honour guard made up of troops from the Irish Guards on his arrival at No 10.
The meeting came during a period of strained relations between Ukraine and the US after Donald Trump eased sanctions on Russian diesel last week as high fuel prices in America threatened to overshadow November’s mid-term elections.
The UK responded to news of the deal by pledging to “maintain pressure on Russia”.
In recent days, the US president has also suggested Ukraine needs a new leader and claimed Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants a peace deal more than the government in Kyiv.
Mr Zelensky has also said use of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communications system was “blocked” and that as a result “people will die”, admitting that he felt betrayed by Mr Trump.
“It’s a pity that we are losing, we are losing a strong partner,” he told Piers Morgan Uncensored.
Starlink is used by Ukraine to defend against aerial attacks and for long-range drones targeting Russian sites.
Speaking in the Commons ahead of his meeting with Mr Zelensky, the Prime Minister said he would seek to restore Donald Trump’s support for Ukraine.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Burnham said he was being “careful” in his language after Mr Trump’s diesel deal with Russia, as he said he was “laying the ground” for a reconciliation.
He added: “I will listen to President Zelensky carefully, but he won’t be going away from Britain today empty-handed.”
During his meeting with Mr Zelensky, he confirmed that the UK would accelerate the supply of crucial air defence missiles to Ukraine amid “heavy bombardment” from Russia.
The accelerated support will see faster deliveries of British lightweight multi-role missiles to Ukraine, which have proved effective against Russian jet-powered drones.
Russia continues to pound Ukraine’s power grid, as well as oil and gas facilities, after Mr Trump claimed that the two countries had agreed to an “energy ceasefire”.
Announcing new funding for repairs at Chernobyl, Mr Healey said: “As the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Putin continues, our commitment to the Ukrainian people is unshakeable.
“We are curtailing the war chest funding Putin so desperately wants and backing the reconstruction of Ukraine that has suffered at the hands of his barbaric attacks.”
Mr Miliband said: “Our message to Putin is clear – we stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and will do so until they prevail.
“Working with our allies, we are strengthening Ukraine’s security, raising the cost of Russia’s aggression and working towards a just and lasting peace.”
Burnham Sending Millions to Chernobyl Power Plant Hit by Russian Drone Attack for Repairs
The British government has pledged £17 million to help repair the protective shelter at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine after a Russian drone strike damaged the structure in February 2025. The announcement has renewed debate over Britain’s financial commitments abroad, the cost of supporting Ukraine and the importance of preventing another nuclear safety crisis in Europe.
The funding was announced on 15 October 2026 by Chancellor John Healey and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, following Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street. It forms part of a wider international programme coordinated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with support from G7 countries and the Ukrainian government. <Cite refs={[“turn714191search0″,”turn714191search2”]}/>
The announcement comes as Russia continues its war against Ukraine and attacks on energy infrastructure put additional pressure on the country’s electricity supply. British ministers say the repairs are necessary to reduce long-term nuclear safety risks and protect the containment structure built over the remains of the reactor destroyed in the 1986 disaster.
For British taxpayers, however, the commitment raises familiar questions about foreign aid, national priorities and how the government decides to allocate public money while households continue to face financial pressures at home.
Why Is Britain Sending £17 Million to Chernobyl?
The money is intended to help restore essential functions of Chernobyl’s New Safe Confinement, the enormous steel structure built to contain the remains of Reactor Four.
The reactor exploded in April 1986, causing the world’s worst nuclear power plant disaster. Radioactive material spread across parts of Ukraine and beyond, while hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from affected areas.
Following the accident, an emergency concrete and steel structure was built over the destroyed reactor. The New Safe Confinement, completed decades later, was designed to provide a more secure enclosure and enable the eventual dismantling of the unstable structure beneath it.
On 14 February 2025, a Russian drone struck the protective shelter, damaging its outer and inner cladding and affecting systems essential to its operation. The attack compromised the structure’s ability to contain radioactive material and support the safe decommissioning of the remains of the reactor. <Cite refs={[“turn714191search1″,”turn714191search3”]}/>
Although the strike did not cause an immediate major radiological emergency, the damage cannot simply be ignored. Water entering the structure and exposure of its steel components could increase corrosion risks over time. The damaged systems also complicate work to dismantle the unstable original sarcophagus surrounding the destroyed reactor.
The British contribution is intended to help restore confinement and ventilation functions, reduce longer-term risks and preserve the structure’s intended service life.
How Serious Is the Damage?
The EBRD estimates that the complete repairs needed to restore the New Safe Confinement to full functionality could cost at least €500 million. The work is expected to be completed by 2030 to limit deterioration and protect the structure’s intended 100-year design life. <Cite refs={[“turn714191search1″,”turn714191search2”]}/>
That is considerably more than Britain’s £17 million contribution. The UK funding is one part of a much larger international effort rather than a commitment to cover the entire repair bill.
On 15 October, G7 countries announced an additional €260 million in support for the restoration work. The EBRD is coordinating the international response and working with Ukrainian authorities and technical specialists to establish the repairs required. <Cite refs={[“turn714191search2”]}/>
The scale of the challenge reflects the complexity of the structure. The shelter is a huge engineered arch designed to contain radioactive material while allowing specialists to work towards dismantling the remains of the destroyed reactor. Repairs must be conducted under strict safety procedures, with workers carefully managing radiation exposure and the risks associated with damaged equipment.
Delaying the work could make the eventual repair programme more expensive and increase the risks associated with corrosion and deterioration. International donors therefore face a choice between financing preventative repairs now and potentially confronting more difficult problems later.
What Has Andy Burnham Said About Ukraine?
Burnham’s government has presented the contribution as part of Britain’s continuing support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion.
Following his meeting with Zelensky on 14 October, Burnham reiterated Britain’s backing for Ukraine and said the country would not leave the meeting empty-handed. The government also announced that it would accelerate the delivery of lightweight multirole missiles intended to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aerial attacks. <Cite refs={[“turn714191search4”]}/>
The Chernobyl funding is a separate part of that support. Rather than financing a conventional military operation, it addresses nuclear safety and the protection of a site with consequences that could extend far beyond Ukraine’s borders.
The government has argued that helping repair the shelter is consistent with a broader effort to support Ukraine’s recovery and limit the damage caused by Russian attacks.
Nevertheless, the public announcement does not mean Burnham personally controls the funds or that the money has already been spent. It is a government funding commitment that will be delivered through the international programme coordinating the repairs.
Why the Decision May Divide British Taxpayers
Foreign spending can be politically sensitive when the government is also managing demands for improvements to domestic services.
British households continue to consider the costs of housing, energy, food and transport, while public services face competing funding requirements. Some taxpayers may question why money is being committed to repairing a nuclear facility overseas when local councils, hospitals and other public institutions also need support.
Those concerns form part of a wider debate about the UK’s responsibilities abroad. Governments must decide how much to spend on international assistance, defence, humanitarian needs and reconstruction while meeting domestic obligations.
Supporters of the Chernobyl contribution argue that nuclear safety is not simply a local Ukrainian concern. The site contains the remains of a destroyed reactor, and deterioration of its protective shelter could create environmental and safety challenges that would be difficult and expensive to manage.
From that perspective, preventative repairs represent a practical investment in reducing risks rather than an optional gesture of goodwill.
Critics may still question whether the government has explained its priorities clearly enough or whether the wider package of assistance offers sufficient transparency over how public money will be used.
Those questions are legitimate subjects for parliamentary scrutiny. The important distinction is between debating whether the funding represents good value for money and suggesting that the contribution is intended to replace spending on British public services. The government has announced a specific international nuclear safety commitment, not a direct transfer from a named domestic service budget.
The Wider Nuclear Safety Risk
The Chernobyl disaster remains a reminder of the long-term consequences of a serious nuclear accident. The protective shelter is essential because it contains the remains of Reactor Four and provides an environment in which the unstable original structure can eventually be dismantled.
The 2025 drone strike damaged the shelter’s cladding and critical systems. According to the EBRD, the damage affected two principal functions: containing radioactive material and enabling safe dismantling work. <Cite refs={[“turn714191search1″,”turn714191search2”]}/>
The repairs will not reverse the 1986 disaster or immediately complete the site’s decommissioning. Instead, they are intended to restore important safety functions and prevent further deterioration while longer-term work continues.
The project also illustrates the difficulty of protecting critical infrastructure during an active war. Facilities that would ordinarily be managed through long-term engineering and environmental programmes can become vulnerable to military attacks, creating unexpected costs and risks.
International cooperation is therefore central to the response. No single donor is expected to cover the entire cost, and the EBRD’s role includes coordinating funding, technical assessments and the work required to restore the shelter.
Britain’s Commitment to Ukraine Continues
The £17 million announcement comes against the background of substantial British assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The UK government says it has provided almost £25 billion in total support, including military, financial and humanitarian assistance, alongside more than £770 million in energy-related funding. It has also imposed extensive sanctions on individuals, organisations and vessels associated with Russia’s war effort. <Cite refs={[“turn714191search0″,”turn714191news9”]}/>
The government argues that supporting Ukraine helps defend its sovereignty, strengthen European security and impose costs on Russia’s continued aggression.
However, the long-term financial commitment will continue to require scrutiny. Parliament and the public will want to understand the objectives of different programmes, how the funds are administered and what results the spending is expected to achieve.
In the case of Chernobyl, the objective is comparatively specific: restore the protective shelter’s essential functions and reduce longer-term nuclear safety risks.
A Difficult Balance Between Safety and Spending
The decision to provide £17 million for Chernobyl repairs illustrates the difficult choices facing Britain’s government as it balances domestic financial pressures with international responsibilities.
The contribution is not the full cost of repairing the damaged structure, and it does not mean the UK will pay the entire estimated €500 million bill. Instead, Britain is participating in an international programme designed to restore the protective shelter and protect the site over the longer term.
For taxpayers, the central questions concern transparency, value for money and the government’s priorities. For nuclear safety specialists, the immediate concern is that damage to a structure containing the remains of a destroyed reactor must be addressed before corrosion and deterioration create greater problems.
The consequences of the 1986 disaster remain present nearly four decades later. The 2025 drone strike added a new challenge to a site that was already the focus of decades of international engineering and environmental work.
Britain’s £17 million commitment is intended to help address that challenge. Whether the wider repair programme meets its objectives will depend on effective coordination, careful engineering and continued international funding.
The debate over public spending will continue, but the underlying safety issue is clear: maintaining the protective shelter at Chernobyl is an essential part of containing the long-term risks associated with one of the world’s most serious nuclear accidents.