On the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of committing “nuclear terrorism” by regularly flying attack drones over the decommissioned power plant. In a social media statement, Zelenskyy warned that Moscow’s actions were “again bringing the world to the brink of a man-made disaster.”
Zelenskyy highlighted that drones now fly routinely over the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, and that one struck the site’s protective shell last year. “The world must not allow this nuclear terrorism to continue, and the best way is to force Russia to stop its reckless attacks,” he said.
Commemorations Across Ukraine
In the northern city of Slavutych, built after the disaster to house plant workers, residents gathered at midnight on Saturday to honour those who died in the 1986 accident and the hundreds of thousands who later took part in the cleanup. People placed candles on a large radiation hazard symbol in a solemn ceremony.
The explosion at reactor number four of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant occurred at 01:23 am on 26 April 1986, during a flawed safety test. It remains the worst civilian nuclear disaster in history. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) attributed the catastrophe to “severe deficiencies in the design of the reactor and the shutdown system,” combined with violations of operating procedures.
Radioactive material spread across Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia before drifting over much of Europe. Sweden detected elevated radiation levels just two days after the accident. Then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev did not publicly acknowledge the event until 14 May 1986.
In the years that followed, soldiers, firefighters, miners, medics, and engineers were summoned from across the Soviet Union. Over four years, some 600,000 people—known as liquidators—joined the cleanup, exposing themselves to high levels of radiation. A 2005 UN report estimated 4,000 deaths from radiation exposure in the three most affected countries; a 2006 Greenpeace report put the figure at nearly 100,000.
Remarkably, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has since become an unlikely wildlife haven, with species such as wolves, lynx, and Przewalski’s horses thriving in the absence of human activity.
Ongoing Russian Strikes
Russian attacks on Ukraine continued through the anniversary. Overnight, Moscow launched a barrage of 144 drones; Ukrainian officials said 124 were shot down. At least three people were killed and four wounded in the strikes. Two deaths occurred in the northeastern Sumy region, near the front line. In Dnipro, one person was killed and four injured by drone and artillery attacks, a day after an aerial assault left at least eight dead.
The latest violence underscores the broader pattern of Russian aggression that has drawn condemnation from European capitals. The Chernobyl site itself remains a potent symbol of the dangers of nuclear mismanagement—and now, of the risks posed by military conflict near sensitive facilities.
