The sarcophagus of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant caught fire in February 2025 when a Russian drone pierced the roof of the protective arch, known as the New Safe Confinement. The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra caught fire on the night of June 15, 2026 when a strike damaged the 11th-century Assumption Cathedral, one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. Both attacks occurred before the G7 summit in Evian. Both now have concrete sponsors for restoration.
What Zelensky Announced
According to the president, France will finance the restoration of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant's protective sarcophagus, while Switzerland will join the restoration of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra together with Ukrainian specialists. He announced these agreements following a closed meeting in the G7-Ukraine format.
Regarding drones, Canada and Ukraine continue to develop joint production: in May, the defense ministries of the two countries signed an agreement to create a joint enterprise Airlogix-Sentinel for the production of reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles on Canadian territory. At the G7, Prime Minister Carney confirmed that "the next stage" of this cooperation will be discussed, and simultaneously announced sanctions against 162 individuals and legal entities and vessels from Russia.
Chornobyl: Scale Does Not Match the Sum
France's contribution to the sarcophagus restoration is not a summit novelty. Back in May 2025, the EBRD recorded the first French tranche: 10 million euros.
"Our contribution of 10 million euros illustrates France's long-standing support for Ukraine. French companies played a key role in building the NSC, and we hope that this first contribution—just three months after the attack—will unlock additional commitments from partner countries."
Pierre Geilbron, France's representative, EBRD—May 2025
The problem is in scale: according to the EBRD's estimates, repairs require at least 500 million euros. The entire previous structure cost 2.1 billion. Companies Bouygues Travaux Publics and VINCI Construction Grands Projets are already involved in damage assessment and repair work. Restoration is planned to be completed by 2030.
Lavra: Attack Two Days Before the Summit
The Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra was damaged on the night of June 15—a day before the G7-Ukraine meeting. UNESCO condemned the strike, Macron called the cathedral "one of the holiest places of Orthodox Christianity" and raised the restoration issue directly at the summit. Switzerland, which is not a G7 member but is a key donor in the field of cultural heritage, took on a role in restoration.
Details are absent: neither budget, nor timeline, nor specific coordination mechanism with UNESCO or Ukrainian restorers have been publicly announced.
Declaration or Commitment?
Based on the Evian results, other agreements were recorded: support for Patriot missile production licenses in Ukraine, formation of a "large-scale package" for protecting the energy system in winter, strengthening of sanctions. According to CBC News, Zelensky confirmed that "leaders supported the request for more Patriot missiles and discussed increasing production through licensing."
- Chornobyl: €10 million of the needed €500 million—confirmed, the rest in negotiations
- Lavra: Switzerland's participation declared, conditions not disclosed
- Drones: Airlogix-Sentinel enterprise signed in May, next stage—without a date
- Patriot: licenses discussed, U.S. decision not made
Common to all four points: intentions exist, implementation mechanism—remains an open question.
If France does not initiate an international donors' conference with specific commitments for the Chornobyl nuclear power plant by the end of 2026, the €500-million financing gap will become a structural risk—and then the question will not be "who will pay," but "who will be responsible when the structure continues to deteriorate."
