Four Decades After Chernobyl: Russia’s Occupation of the Plant and the Damage to Its New Safe Confinement

Remembering Chernobyl: 40 Years Since the Disaster

According to Кабмін: On April 26, the world marks the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident-one of the most severe technological catastrophes in human history. The explosion in reactor number four unleashed devastating consequences, permanently altering the lives of thousands. Housed in the Museum of the History of Ukraine’s Governments is a working notebook belonging to Oleksandr Liashko, who served as head of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR in 1986. That notebook documents how central Soviet authorities deliberately delayed approvals for evacuations and withheld warnings about the danger from the public.

Cleanup Efforts and the Current Situation

Nearly 600,000 people risked their lives to contain the radiation and mitigate the disaster’s aftermath. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, its troops seized the Chernobyl site. To this day, some plant guards remain in captivity. The area continues to face serious threats: in February 2025, a Russian drone struck and damaged the New Safe Confinement structure built over reactor four.

'The Russians continue to defy global principles of nuclear safety, creating risks on a continental scale-they occupy Europe’s largest nuclear plant, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and systematically shell it.' Yuliia Svyrydenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine

We honor the memory of the liquidators and all those who lost their lives due to the catastrophe. Each year on April 26 serves as a stark reminder to learn from past mistakes and to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities worldwide.

The Chernobyl disaster remains a powerful warning about the inherent dangers of nuclear energy and the urgent need for international cooperation on nuclear safety. The situation in the Exclusion Zone-especially amid ongoing Russian aggression-poses risks not just to Ukraine but to all of Europe, underscoring the critical importance of upholding international safety standards at nuclear sites. This anniversary compels reflection on how past failures can shape the future, highlighting the need for resilience and robust emergency preparedness.