The giant confinement building encapsulating the Chernobyl nuclear reactor that exploded nearly 40 years ago is smooth and curved—built with scientific precision. Installed in 2016, the structure was designed to prevent the escape of radiation from the stricken reactor, which is also encased in a smaller concrete sarcophagus. The confinement enshrouds both reactor and sarcophagus and is so massive that if you placed the Statue of Liberty inside it at its center, her torch wouldn’t come close to prodding the ceiling. But like a slightly cracked egg, this gargantuan covering has been violated. It is one of many victims in Russia’s war with Ukraine.
In February, a drone armed with