A RUSSIAN drone has slammed into the Chernobyl power plant and exploded in a horror attack on the nuclear disaster zone raising fears of a radiation leak.

The craft carried a “high-explosive warhead” and hit the sarcophagus early Friday morning of Reactor Four – the core which failed in the 1986 Soviet disaster.

Chernobyl was the worst nuclear disaster in history and a containment dome was built over the top of the reactor to stop the deadly fallout spreading through the wind.

Footage showed a thunderous explosion erupting from the dome and a fire catching in the structure.

A large hole was left in the sarcophagus following the blast, with Ukrainian firefighters having to go into the structure to extinguish the blaze.

There are fears now deadly radiation could leak from the plant and spread through winds and create another nuclear disaster as peace talks unfold.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a clip of the explosion and resulting damage from the strike.

He slammed Russia as a “terrorist threat to the entire world”.

Zelensky said: “This shelter was built by Ukraine together with other countries of Europe and the world, together with America – all those committed to real security for humanity.

“The only country in the world that attacks such sites, occupies nuclear power plants, and wages war without any regard for the consequences is today’s Russia.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency said the strike occurred at 1.50am local time.

Russia occupied Chernobyl earlier in the war, but then retreated.

It also seized Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the south of Ukraine in 2022 in what was a dangerous attack that threatened another nuclear disaster.

The President confirmed radiation levels had not increased but with “significant” damage to the shelter authorities were continuing to monitor the situation.

The International Atomic Energy Agency also said no radiation had been measured but they were continuing to monitor the situation.

Zelensky raged the attack showed Russia wasn’t sincere about peace negotiations.

He said: “Putin is preparing to continue deceiving the world. 

“That is why united pressure from all who value life is needed – pressure on the aggressor. Russia must be responsible for what it is doing.”

Russian Telegram channels claimed the strike was likely a Ukrainian stunt to derail peace talks which gave the advantage to Vladimir Putin. 

One reported it was “looking like a Ukrainian attempt to pull apart peace deal negotiations”.

In 1986, a reactor at Chernobyl exploded during a botched safety test, resulting in the world’s worst nuclear accident that sent clouds of radiation across much of Europe and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate.

The shell was built in 2016 around the old sarcophagus with the clean-up scheduled for completion by 2065.

Soviet authorities initially tried to cover up and then play down the disaster.

Eventually a massive concrete and steel cover called a sarcophagus was built over the reactor, to contain the radiation.

The attack comes as the fate of Ukraine hangs in the balance and world powers are meeting in Munich.

Zelensky has warned the West against trusting Vladimir Putin — amid fears his embattled nation is being frozen out of peace talks with Russia.

On Wednesday night, US President Donald Trump announced immediate negotiations to end the war in Ukraine after speaking with Russian tyrant Putin by phone for 90 minutes.

Trump appears to have gone over the head of Ukraine and European nations and is set to meet the Russian tyrant in Saudi Arabia.

Zelensky was backed by allies including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who insisted that Ukraine must play a central role in negotiations to end the three-year conflict.