April 26, 2026, marked the fortieth anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. The explosion and fire that destroyed Reactor 4 at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on April 26, 1986, exposed systemic failures in Soviet governance, secrecy, and crisis management, which centered in Moscow, while contaminating large areas of Ukraine and neighboring states with radiation. Forty years after the Chornobyl nuclear power plant disaster, Moscow continues to weaponize nuclear energy against Ukraine (see EDM, May 2, 2025).
Russia has weaponized Ukrainian nuclear sites since the beginning of its full-scale invasion. In February 2025, a Russian drone caused 15 square meters (approximately 161 square feet) of damage to the New Safe Confinement structure covering Reactor 4 of the Chornobyl NPP (Telegram/@mindovkillia, February 18, 2025). Russian forces occupied the NPP from February 24 to March 31, 2022. During the occupation, heavy military vehicles disturbed contaminated soil, leading to detectable rises in radiation levels. Ukrainian staff also reported signs of radiation exposure among Russian soldiers, who reportedly soon arrived at a Belarusian medical center specializing in radiation treatment (Militarnyi, March 31, 2022).
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