Chernobyl fears still resonate on 40th anniversary amidst war with Russia

已複製連結

Anxiety mounts on the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosions, as memory of recent Russian drone attack near the site sparks continued concerns. 

At 1:23 a.m. on April 26, 1986, an explosion triggered a cloud of deadly radiation at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, raising fears across Europe and which some say led to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Last February, Ukraine says Russian drones dropped explosive warheads near the outer layer of what is known as the New Safe Confinement structure built in 2019 to enclose the original, hastily built concrete "sarcophagus" to keep the damaged Reactor No. 4  and its deadly debris from leaking radiation.

Moscow denied targeting the plant, alleging Kyiv staged the attack.

While the attack was not catastrophic and the damage occurred in an area with low contamination, Ukrainian officials said the unmanned device triggered a fire on the structure although not penetrating it. 

Monitors detected no rise in radiation levels outside the arch, and no one was injured following the drone attack but officials say the structure is no longer fully sealed. 

Kyiv's top state prosecutor said last month at least 92 Russian drones had flown within a 5 kilometre radius of the shield since 2024.

The incident sparked new anxieties about Moscow's invasion of its neighbour, striking the site that symbolised so much suffering for Ukraine. 

Dozens of people died in the immediate aftermath of the 1986 incident, while the long-term death toll from radiation is unknown. The fire from the explosion took more than two weeks to extinguish fully.

For engineers, scientists and others who still work at the now-closed plant, the 2025 attack rekindled memories of a horrible spring day 40 years ago