It has been two years since a giant steel shelter was slid into position over Chernobyl's crumbling radioactive ruins. The New Safe Confinement (NSC) was deployed in November 2016 to contain radiation from doomed the nuclear power plant for 100 years. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service takes a rare look at operations inside of the containment two years on.
Under The Shield: Inside Chernobyl's New Safe Confinement
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Dozens of robotic cameras are located throughout Chernobyl's New Safe Confinement (NSC). Streaming video is monitored from the structure's main control room known as the Confinement Management Center (CMC). The containment structure is also equipped with automated fire-suppression systems.
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Workers inside the New Safe Confinement (NSC) grind joints of the concrete pillars. Although there can be a lot of dust inside the shield, the level of the radioactivity is relatively low. Officials say there is little risk to the health of the workers.
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The old concrete sarcophagus under the New Safe Confinement (NSC). There remains an estimated 200 tons of radioactive fuel inside the crippled reactor.
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In order to move around Chernobyl's containment structure, workers must routinely check if they have been exposed to radiation. This worker tests radiation levels with monitoring equipment known as a dosimetric control system.
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