40 years after Chernobyl. Zelensky: Let the world not allow Russia to engage in nuclear terrorism in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed on Sunday, on the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, for the world not to allow Russia to attack nuclear facilities in his country.

The head of state recalled that during the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine, its drones fly over the Chernobyl power plant every day, and last year one of them hit the shield over the fourth reactor of this power plant, which failed in 1986.

“40 years ago, the world faced one of the greatest nuclear disasters – the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded. A significant amount of radioactive substances was released into the environment. Hundreds of thousands of people have been struggling with the effects of this tragedy for years,” Zelensky wrote on social media.

He recalled that to stop radiation, a sarcophagus was built over the destroyed reactor shortly after the disaster. In 2019, the New Safe Sarcophagus (NSC) was launched there, whose task was to prevent further disasters.

“It is these two structures that protect against radiation emissions and contamination. Their maintenance and protection is in the interest of everyone. However, with its war, Russia is once again pushing the world to the brink of technological catastrophe: Russian-Iranian Shaheds (drones – PAP) constantly fly over the power plant, and one of them hit the shield last year (NSC – PAP),” he emphasized.

“The world cannot allow this nuclear terrorism to continue, and the best way is to force Russia to stop these crazy attacks,” Zelensky appealed.

Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. The explosion of the plant's fourth reactor on April 26, 1986 led to the contamination of parts of the territories of Ukraine and Belarus. Radioactive substances also reached Scandinavia, Central Europe, including Poland, and also to the south of the continent – to Greece and Italy. People are still prohibited from settling in the zone around Chernobyl.

From Kiev Jarosław Junko (PAP)

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