International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day

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Investigations of the World Nuclear Association.

The Russia-Ukraine war has impacted Ukraine's nuclear power facilities. This page provides a summary of the latest developments.

On 24 February 2022, Russian forces took control of all facilities of the Chernobyl nuclear plant. Control levels of gamma radiation dose rates in the Chernobyl exclusion zone were exceeded. The SNRIU said that the rise in radiation levels was likely due to “disturbance of the top layer of soil from movement of a large number of heavy military machinery through the exclusion zone and increase of air pollution.” It added: “The condition of Chernobyl nuclear facilities and other facilities is unchanged." Radiation readings from the site were assessed by the IAEA to be low and in line with near background levels.

On 9 March at 11.22 the Chernobyl plant lost connection to the grid. The SNRIU said that backup diesel generators were running and had 48 hours of fuel. The IAEA stated that, based on the heat load of spent fuel in the ISF-1 storage pool, and the volume of cooling water it contained, there would be sufficient heat removal without electrical supply. It said that it saw no critical impact on safety as a result of the loss of power, but said that the loss of power would likely create additional stress for the about 210 staff who have not been able to rotate for the past two weeks.

Professor Geraldine Thomas, director of the Chernobyl Tissue Bank, said: "They [the used fuel bundles] will not be producing significant amounts of heat, making a release of radiation very unlikely. In the unlikely event of a release of any radiation, this would be only to the immediate local area, and therefore not pose any threat to western Europe – there would be no radioactive cloud."

On 13 March Energoatom reported that transmission system operator Ukrenergo had succeeded in repairing a power line needed to restore external electricity supplies to Chernobyl. The site was due to be reconnected to the grid a day later, but Ukrenergo reported in the morning of 14 March that the line had sustained further damage "by the occupying forces". Later on 14 March Ukrenergo said that external power had been restored at 13.10 local time, and at 16.45 the plant was reconnected to Ukraine's electricity grid.

On 31 March control of the site was returned to Ukrainian personnel.

For more detailed information, see page on Russia-Ukraine War and Nuclear Energy.

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International Chernobyl Project

On 26 April 1986, the Number Four reactor at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in what then was the Soviet Union  during improper testing at low-power, resulted in loss of control that led to an explosion and fire that demolished the reactor building and released large amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. As safety measures were ignored, the uranium fuel in the reactor overheated and melted through the protective barriers.

On 26 April 1986, the Number Four reactor at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in what then was the Soviet Union  during improper testing at

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Look back on the chernobyl accident.

Chernobyl accident information. The Chernobyl RBMK reactor design faults and how they were addressed. The Chernobyl New Safe Confinement. Le

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Please join us in a moment of silence.

on April 26. we raise awareness of the consequences of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the risks of nuclear energy in general. The day not only informs us about the man-made disaster but also educates human beings about the risks of nuclear energy in general.

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Chernobyl-related activities

The Chernobyl-related activities of the United Nations system and international stakeholders are organized around the following priorities:

Community-based development;

Provision of information to affected communities;

Infrastructure;

Health;

Radiation mitigation and standard setting;

Nuclear safety and radioactive waste management;

Environmental sustainability;

Disaster risk reduction and early warning.

Throughout the years, the United Nations has continued to evaluate the effects of the Chernobyl accident, the support provided to improve public and environmental safety and the recovery of the areas affected by the accident.

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Chernobyl tops Bafta TV awards nominations

Chernobyl leads the Bafta TV award nominations, which have been announced

The Sky Atlantic miniseries, which was heavily praised by critics, was based on the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

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The tourists visiting Chernobyl

In Ukraine 30 years after the nuclear accident, the infamous Chernobyl nuclear plant has become a popular tourist attraction.

Despite the radiation being higher than normal, thousands of tourists take the trip every year.

Nature has reclaimed its rights over the area, wild horses roam in nearby fields and there are quite a few fishes in the old cooling basin.

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What has changed at Chernobyl?

Thirty years on from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, what has happened at the site since?

In the early hours of 26 April 1986, one of four nuclear reactors at the Chernobyl power station in Ukraine exploded.

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Returning home to a nuclear disaster zone

Lyudmila Honchar was four when she had to leave her home in Pripyat, Ukraine after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Now she's going home.

The nearest city, Pripyat, home to around 50,000 people, was evacuated along with other communities in a 4,000 sq km zone.

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Securing the area, limiting the exposure of the population, providing medical follow-up to those affected

Since the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident on 26 April 1986, the United Nations, along with the Governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, has been leading the recovery and development efforts to support the affected regions. While extensive humanitarian work was conducted immediately after the accident, additional recovery and rehabilitation activities were conducted in the following years to secure the area, limit the exposure of the population, provide medical follow-up to those affected and study the health consequences of the incident.

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The UN and the nuclear age were born almost simultaneously. The horror of the Second World War, culminating in the nuclear blasts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, brought home the need to address the nuclear issue. By its first resolution, the General Assembly established the UN Atomic Energy Commission to deal with the problems raised by the discovery of atomic energy. And a landmark address by United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953, “Atoms for Peace”, led to the establishment in 1957 of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

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On 8 December 2016 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 26 April as International Chernobyl Disaster Remembr

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 26 April as International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. In its resolution, the General Assembly recognized that three decades after the disaster there remains persistent serious long-term consequences and that the affected communities and territories are experiencing continuing related needs. The General Assembly invites all Member States, relevant agencies of the United Nations system and other international organizations, as well as civil society, to observe the day.

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On April 26, 1986, the Number Four RBMK reactor at the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, Ukraine, went out of control during a test at low-p

 What caused the Chernobyl accident?

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A short film detailing the physical and psychological aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, April 26, 1986.

Chernobyl: Chernobyl 1986

Chernobyl 1986: A short film detailing the physical and psychological aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, April 26, 1986. The United Nation

Chernobyl 1986.