Making Chornobyl Safe: mobilising support for a €500 million nuclear-safety challenge
In early 2025, a Russian drone strike severely damaged Chornobyl’s New Safe Confinement (NSC), the structure protecting the world from the remains of the reactor destroyed in the 1986 disaster. With repair costs estimated at more than €500 million and urgent work needed to restore full functionality by 2030, the EBRD, as manager of the International Chernobyl Cooperation Account, faced a critical challenge: mobilising international donor support for a nuclear-safety project of global importance.([1])
The fundraising goal was to build support among donor decision-makers for commitments towards the estimated €500 million NSC repair requirement. The campaign also aimed to demonstrate the EBRD’s leadership and expertise in nuclear safety and reinforce the Bank’s broader commitment to Ukraine’s recovery and resilience.
[1]Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EBRD uses the Ukrainian spelling of Chornobyl. The legal name of the ICCA cannot be changed at this time.
Making Chornobyl Safe combined multimedia content gathered in a war zone, immersive technology, high-impact journalism, creator partnerships and a targeted digital strategy. Together, these elements turned a complex technical issue into a clear and urgent case for funding repairs.
At the heart of the campaign was a bespoke virtual reality experience that gave priority donor and policy audiences an immersive view of the NSC damage. It was presented at seven high-level events across five countries to European Commissioners, finance ministers, IAEA leadership and Ukrainian officials.
The campaign was amplified through a partnership with the Financial Times, including an interactive feature that was one of the most read that week, video explainers, FT Weekend print coverage and an Instagram Reel viewed more than 601,000 times.
To broaden reach, the EBRD partnered with science creator and influencer Kyle Hill, whose Chornobyl documentary generated more than 1.4 million YouTube views and over 11,000 comments. Supporting activity included 90 social media posts, a documentary film and targeted digital promotion that generated more than 810,000 additional views from a budget of approximately £2,000.
Earned media further extended the campaign’s authority and reach. BBC, Reuters, RAI and Deutsche Welle used EBRD footage captured at Chornobyl in October 2025, while EBRD experts contributed commentary on nuclear safety and the site’s recovery.
The campaign connected international awareness with donor mobilisation by placing compelling evidence of the NSC’s damage before decision-makers and wider audiences. While donors’ decisions will emerge in time, the campaign’s results so far show strong reach, engagement and stated support for repairs.
Why this deserves a Shorty Award
Making Chornobyl Safe shows how communication lays the groundwork for fundraising and educates and highlights audiences before final decisions are made. It translated a technically complex nuclear-safety challenge into a clear case for supporting NSC repairs and delivered that case to the people capable of acting on it.
Its innovative use of virtual reality, trusted media partnerships and influencer storytelling reached exactly the audiences capable of supporting the fundraising effort. The campaign's visibility and engagement demonstrate that it helped build support for funding a project essential to global nuclear safety.
