Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukraine is marking the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster with commemorations at the former nuclear power plant and remembrance events in Kyiv and other cities. President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend a ceremony at the site of the damaged reactor.
Commemorations and security measures
Events are taking place at the former nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine, alongside ceremonies in the capital and elsewhere. Authorities have introduced strict security measures due to the ongoing Russian invasion since 2022 and the plant’s location near the Belarus border.
Remembrance events in Kyiv and other cities
In Kyiv, planned events include minutes of silence, exhibitions, film screenings, concerts and wreath laying ceremonies in memory of those affected by the 1986 disaster. Similar commemorations are planned in other cities.
Background on the 1986 accident
The Chernobyl accident occurred on 26 April 1986 during a test at reactor four of the then Soviet-era plant in the Ukrainian Soviet Republic. The reactor suffered a catastrophic failure, releasing radioactive material into the atmosphere.
Impact and response
Radioactive fallout spread across parts of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and wider Europe, and the damaged reactor continued to release radiation for months. Authorities at the time evacuated more than 100,000 people from a 30-kilometre exclusion zone established around the plant, while hundreds of thousands of workers from across the Soviet Union later took part in containment and cleanup operations.
How are commemorations being observed in your city?
