'Constant reminder of real threat:' World marks 40th anniversary of Chornobyl disaster [View all]

Source: Kyiv Independent

As the world marks the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, Ukrainian and foreign leaders have been commemorating the tragedy, while Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine continues to threaten nuclear safety across the country.

"We remember everyone who gave their lives while dealing with the aftermath of this tragedy. May all the victims of the Chornobyl disaster rest in peace," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X on April 26.

The Chornobyl nuclear accident occurred on April 26, 1986, when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.

In the early hours of that morning, the fourth reactor of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant exploded, initiating a meltdown of the reactor's core while tearing through the roof and spewing radioactive material across Ukraine, Belarus, and much of Europe.

Read more: https://kyivindependent.com/world-marks-40th-anniversary-of-chornobyl-disaster/