39 years ago, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred On the night of April 26, 1986, a powerful explosion occurred at the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, leading to the destruction of part of the reactor unit and the turbine hall. The explosion triggered a fire that spread to the roof of the third reactor unit and was not fully extinguished until May 10. After the disaster, a radioactive cloud formed, covering Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, as well as large parts of Europe — including Sweden, Austria, Norway, Germany, Finland, Greece, Romania, Slovenia, Lithuania, and Latvia. Moscow initially concealed the fact of the accident and its environmental consequences — the first official announcement was made only on April 28. Some facts about the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster: ▪️The population within a 30-kilometer radius was evacuated, and 2,293 settlements became contaminated with radioactive fallout. ▪️The Chernobyl disaster was rated at the maximum 7 out of 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), making it the largest man-made disaster in human history. ▪️The explosion released 100 times more radiation than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. ▪️Nuclear rain from the fallout even reached as far as Ireland. ▪️Greenpeace estimates that around 90,000 cancer deaths worldwide are linked to the Chernobyl accident. ▪️More than 5 million people live in areas still considered contaminated by radioactive substances. ▪️The contaminated area has become one of the world's most unique nature reserves, home to a thriving wildlife population. To prevent further radiation release, the damaged reactor was enclosed in a "sarcophagus" by the end of 1986. In 2016, the New Safe Confinement (NSC) arch was installed over the Shelter structure.