The European Commission has pledged €70 million (£50m) to help the Chernobyl site in Ukraine return to a safe environment.

President Jean-Claude Juncker made the announcement at the EU-Ukraine Summit in Kiev yesterday.

The funding amounts to around €360 million (£257m) which has already been provided for the completion of a number of projects, including the New Safe Confinement being built.

Its aim is to protect the environment from radiation releases and provide the infrastructure to support deconstruction of the remains of the reactor and nuclear waste management operations.

The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic accident that occured at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine in April 1986.

The explosion of reactor number four spewed poisonous radiation over large parts of Europe, particularly Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

Mr Juncker said: “The European Union already provides unprecedented financial support to Ukraine and today we continue along this path… Our actions speak louder than our words. The EU is helping to make Chernobyl safe again.”

EU member states have also provided around €420 million (£300m) so far.

• Chernobyl, EU, Nuclear, Ukraine