The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred on April 26, 1986, when reactor number four at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded, releasing over 100 radioactive elements into the atmosphere, according to multiple reports. The explosion killed 30 workers within months from the blast or acute radiation sickness, though some sources say 32 plant workers and firefighters died immediately from acute radiation sickness; the discrepancy may reflect different time frames or inclusion criteria, and the exact number of immediate deaths is uncertain. The accident forced the evacuation of 45,000 residents of Pripyat, though other reports put the number at 50,000, possibly due to rounding or inclusion of surrounding areas. A 30-kilometer exclusion zone was established around the plant, according to major media reports.
Soviet authorities did not report the accident for two days, according to multiple reports. Swedish nuclear engineer Cliff Robinson detected the fallout and alerted the world, as reported by major media outlets. The delay in notification and the secrecy surrounding the disaster have been widely criticized.
It looked like a big, big black hole. It was like a gate to hell. Even now my skin crawls.
About 600,000 people, known as 'liquidators', were sent to clean up the disaster, according to multiple reports. Petro Hurin, a former liquidator, told wire reports that only five of his 40 colleagues are alive today. According to Ilta-Sanomat, Oleksandr Novikov, a former student dosimetrist at Chernobyl, described the open reactor as 'a gate to hell'. According to The Independent - Main, Anatolii Prylipko, another liquidator, described the scene as packed with machinery and helicopters, and the road to Kyiv so crowded that you couldn't pass anyone. Anatolii Krutik, also quoted by The Independent - Main, said no one really thought about the danger because they didn't know what it was — an invisible enemy. Volodymyr Vechirko, speaking to The Independent - Main, said being back now is emotionally overwhelming, comparing what the place was to what it is now.
Thyroid cancer cases increased in children due to radioactive iodine, according to multiple reports. The true death and cancer toll from Chernobyl may be far higher than officially announced, experts told major media outlets. The exact total death toll, including long-term radiation-related deaths, remains unknown. The current health status of surviving liquidators is also uncertain.
Back then, the whole place was packed: machinery, helicopters, they were everywhere. The road to Kyiv was so crowded you couldn't pass anyone.
In 2025, a Russian drone strike damaged the New Safe Confinement structure at Chernobyl, according to multiple reports. At least 16 people were killed in strikes over the weekend across Ukraine, Russian-occupied territory and Russia, local authorities reported. Ukrainian forces struck an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, Russia, sparking fires, according to Ukraine's General Staff. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said repairs to the damaged protective shell must begin immediately. According to The Independent - Main, Liudmyla Liubyva, a resident of Slavutych, described the drone strike on the arch as feeling like the world could return to 1986. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media that through its war, Russia is once again bringing the world to the brink of a man-made disaster, noting that Russian-Iranian Shaheds regularly fly over the plant and one struck the confinement last year.
Several unknowns remain: the exact total death toll from the Chernobyl disaster, including long-term radiation-related deaths; the current status of the damaged New Safe Confinement structure and the timeline for repairs; how many liquidators are still alive today and their current health status; what specific safety measures are in place to protect the Chernobyl site from ongoing military attacks; and the full extent of the radioactive contamination still present in the exclusion zone.
No one really thought about it. We didn't know what it was — this invisible enemy.
Being back here now, the emotions are overwhelming. It's incredibly sad to compare what this place was to what it is now.
When the drone struck the arch, it felt like the world could return to 1986.