On 26 April 2025, we mark 39 years since one of the most devastating man-made disasters in human history — the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

The catastrophe resulted from a risky experiment demanded by Moscow to satisfy its own ambitions, despite clear violations of basic safety protocols. Unacceptable manipulations with the reactor led to an uncontrolled reaction, explosion, and the meltdown of the reactor core.

The Soviet regime committed a crime not only by causing the disaster but also by concealing the truth about it. Holding May Day parades in Kyiv and failing to properly evacuate people demonstrated Moscow’s total disregard for human life and inability to ensure basic safety, ultimately contributing to the collapse of the USSR.

The Soviet authorities’ attempts to hide the scale of the tragedy resulted in millions of people being exposed to radiation. More than 145,000 km² of territory, including 2,218 settlements in Ukraine, were contaminated with radionuclides. Radioactive contamination spread across dozens of European countries. Overall, nearly 5 million people were affected by the consequences of the catastrophe. The cumulative economic losses to Ukraine are estimated in the tens of billions of US dollars.

Today, we honor the memory of the heroic liquidators who, at the cost of their own health and lives, contained the spread of radiation and prevented an even greater disaster. We express deep gratitude to the workers of the Chornobyl NPP and the Exclusion Zone who, in 2022, bravely maintained the critical infrastructure under conditions of Russian occupation.

On 24 February 2022, the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone became one of the first targets of the Russian invasion. During the 36 days of occupation, Russian forces violated radiation safety protocols, used the area as a military base, and caused damages exceeding 3 billion UAH. Upon retreating on 31 March, the occupiers forcibly took away 169 National Guard servicemen of Ukraine, of whom only 65 have been returned so far. We continue to demand the release of all captives.

In February 2025, Russia once again pushed the world to the brink of a new catastrophe by launching a drone strike on the protective infrastructure above the destroyed Unit 4 of the Chornobyl NPP. The attack damaged elements of both the external and internal shells of the New Safe Confinement (NSC), posing direct risks to the stability of the Shelter facility.

The world must remember that the crime and tragedy of Chornobyl were the direct consequences of the Kremlin’s irresponsible policies that disregarded human lives for the sake of ideology. Today's Russia continues the same policies and employs the same methods — propaganda, disinformation, contempt for human life, international law, and security.

The restoration of Ukraine’s full control over all nuclear facilities on its sovereign territory is an essential prerequisite for guaranteeing global nuclear security. We call upon the international community to intensify efforts to prevent similar threats in the future by upholding the principles of transparency, responsibility, and the rule of international law.

On the anniversary of the Chornobyl tragedy, we once again emphasize: the price of silence, cynicism, and impunity is too high. Only through joint actions can we stop Russian terror and prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.

Eternal memory to the victims. Everlasting honor and gratitude to all who liquidated the consequences of the disaster and continue to defend Ukraine.