Ukraine is asking its international partners to assist dismantling the fourth power unit of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine's Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Ostap Semerak told journalists on Thursday.

"The government is preparing an appeal to international partners about our vision of cooperation. I would like to say that we expect technical and scientific assistance to dismantle the fourth power unit," he said.

Semerak noted it is difficult for Ukraine to cope with the task independently.

As earlier reported, the new safety shield, called the New Safety Confinement (NSC), has been placed over the fourth power unit at Chornobyl nuclear power plant. It is planned to test all NSC systems and put it into full operation before November 2017. Ukraine is expected to dismantle unstable areas of the structure and remove radioactive materials from the structure in order to ensure ecological safety.