The Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident occurred on April 26, 1986, and is widely regarded as the worst nuclear disaster in history, according to multiple reports. The immediate human toll included 32 plant workers and firefighters who died from acute radiation sickness, according to a single source. Thousands of others have since died from radiation-related illnesses such as cancer, and thyroid cancer cases increased especially in children due to radioactive iodine exposure. The total death toll from the accident is impossible to determine, experts say.
Over 600,000 people, known as 'liquidators', participated in the cleanup over four years, according to a single source. These workers faced extreme radiation exposure while decontaminating the area, building the sarcophagus, and sealing off the reactor. Many developed severe health problems, including radiation sickness, cancer, and other chronic conditions. The long-term health impacts remain difficult to quantify, as many liquidators died from illnesses that were not officially linked to radiation.
Petro Hurin, a liquidator, was sent to the Chernobyl exclusion zone in June 1986, according to a named source. Within four days, he developed severe symptoms, but Soviet doctors refused to diagnose radiation sickness. Of his 40 colleagues, only five are alive today, Hurin told reporters. His grandson Andri Vorobkalov was killed in the Battle of Bakhmut in 2023. Hurin said that no Chernobyl person is in good health; it is 'death by a thousand cuts'. He also recalled, 'I understood that even if my contribution was small, I was doing my part to tame this atomic beast.'
Other liquidators shared their experiences with The Independent - Main. According to the outlet, Anatolii Prylipko first arrived nine days after the accident and drove a fire truck for a month. He described the scene as packed with machinery and helicopters, and the road to Kyiv so crowded that it was impassable. Prylipko suffered a health crisis in 1990 and couldn't work for a year. Anatolii Krutik was deployed in summer 1986 to fence off contaminated territory and designate exclusion zones. According to The Independent - Main, Krutik said no one really thought about the danger; they did not know what the invisible enemy was. Volodymyr Vechirko was sent to Chernobyl in summer 1986 to clear topsoil and clean buildings. According to The Independent - Main, Vechirko described being back at the site as emotionally overwhelming, comparing what the place was to what it is now. He has been ill for much of his life, attributing it to working at the disaster site.