Svitlana Grynchuk: France to allocate EUR 10 million for mitigating damage from russian drone attack on New Safe Confinement Arch

France will allocate EUR 10 million to address the consequences of a russian drone attack on the New Safe Confinement (NSC) Arch. The funds will be transferred to the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account and directed towards restoring the NSC. This was announced by Ukraine’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Svitlana Grynchuk, on her Facebook page.

“We reached an agreement on the allocation of these funds with Pierre Heilbronn, France’s Special Envoy for Ukraine’s Relief and Reconstruction, during his visit to the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in April this year. Overall, discussions with Pierre Heilbronn regarding France’s support for the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone have been ongoing since February 2025,” the Minister noted.

The corresponding Contribution Agreement was signed by Pierre Heilbronn, France’s Special Envoy for Ukraine’s Relief and Reconstruction, and Mark Bowman, EBRD Vice President for Policy and Partnerships, during a business forum in London. This marks an important step in strengthening Ukraine-France cooperation in nuclear safety and restoring ecological stability in the Chornobyl Zone.

“France has been actively engaged in mitigating the consequences of the attack from the very first days. The NSC Arch is a structure to which many French companies and specialists contributed. Work is currently underway to assess the damage and develop a plan to restore the Arch’s functionality. I thank the French Republic for its steadfast support and Pierre Heilbronn for his cooperation and swift response to our requests. We are working to restore the Arch and enhance Europe’s nuclear safety,” Svitlana Grynchuk added.