The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which occurred on the night of 26 April 1986, is one of the largest man-made disasters in human history. It is believed to have had far-reaching environmental and human health consequences.
The accident
On the night of 26 April 1986, the Chornobyl NPP decided to conduct an experiment to study the capabilities of the turbine of the fourth reactor generator in the event of a power outage. To do this, it was planned to disconnect the external power supply to check whether the turbine could power the reactor systems in inertial mode.
The experiment began at 1:23:04, and at 1:23:40 the operator pressed the emergency protection button. It is believed that this action was planned and not an emergency, but it was after this that the problems began. The power in the system was supposed to decrease after that, but instead it increased to an unknown value in a few seconds – all the sensors went off scale. Two explosions occurred one after the other, destroying the reactor. The first explosion was a steam explosion. Experts are still arguing about the nature of the second explosion – whether it was a chemical (hydrogen explosion), nuclear (thermal) or steam explosion.
The explosion released a huge amount of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
For many years, it was believed that the accident was caused solely by human error and violations of safety protocols. Now, it is believed that the management of the plant and energy agencies also share a significant part of the blame. In particular, the plant personnel were not properly instructed and informed, and their mistakes were caused by the lack of additional training before the experiment.
Government response
In the first days after the accident, the authorities tried to hide the fact of the accident and, consequently, its consequences. The silence led to the fact that information about the accident became known abroad through measurements of radioactive fallout in other countries, including Sweden, rather than through official reports from the Soviet authorities. The first report on the accident was released by the authorities on 28 April, giving the impression that the threat was localised.
The evacuation of the population from Prypiat began only at 14:00 on 27 April. And on 1 May, people took to the streets in Kyiv and other surrounding Ukrainian and Belarusian cities for May Day demonstrations. Some of them demanded that the authorities stop hiding the scale of the disaster.
Consequences of the disaster
- Radiation contamination. Huge quantities of radiation materials were released into the atmosphere as a result of the explosion, which led to radiation contamination not only in Ukraine but also in a large part of Europe.
- Evacuation of the population. The evacuation of Pripyat residents took place on 28 April from 14:00 to 16:30. Evacuation from the 10-kilometre zone was completed on 3 May, and from the 30-kilometre zone on 6 May. People took only the most valuable things with them. All pets were left behind because their hair was too radioactive.
- Human health. It is believed that the Chornobyl accident significantly increased the number of cases of cancer, birth defects, and other radiation-related diseases. However, this thesis is now being questioned. Most of the distinct disorders caused by radiation were observed in liquidators (people who directly dealt with the accident and its consequences on the ground). It is believed that about 125,000 of the 600,000 liquidators suffered serious health problems. At present, the thesis that the Chornobyl accident has had a significant negative impact on the health of people in Europe, Ukraine or even in regions close to Chornobyl is highly debatable.
- Environmental consequences. About 400 square kilometres of forests and land were lost due to radiation contamination. A 30-kilometre exclusion zone covering 2,576.9 square kilometres was created around the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, which is virtually excluded from the country’s economic life.
Sarcophagus and confinement
By the end of 1986, a sarcophagus shelter was built over the fourth unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and by the end of 1987, the other three reactors of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were restarted. However, in 1991, a fire broke out at ChNPP Unit 2, after which it was decided to gradually decommission the plant. The plant was finally shut down on 15 December 2000.
However, the sarcophagus of the shelter was gradually deteriorating, despite the fact that, according to experts, it contained up to 95% of the radioactive substances that were there immediately after the accident. Therefore, it was decided to build a new shelter.
The construction of the new shelter was an international project worth €1.5 billion, funded by the EBRD, the European Union and the United States. In 2004, a tender was announced, and in August 2007, NOVARKA, a joint venture between French companies Vinci Construction Grands Projects and BOUYGUES, was announced as the winner. Construction began in 2012. The new confinement (containment) was commissioned in July 2019.
The construction of the confinement was a major engineering achievement that reduced the risk of ChNPP to the environment and ensured safety for future generations.
Occupation
In 2022, the Russians attacked Kyiv through the Chornobyl zone, among other things – they were there from the first day of the full-scale invasion and stayed until 2 April, a little over a month. The Chornobyl zone is not only abandoned forest, concrete and iron, but also infrastructure, facilities for the maintenance and research of the territory: checkpoints, research centres, laboratories, etc. People work there. The Russians destroyed and looted all of this.
It is noteworthy that the Russian occupiers also visited the most contaminated area of the Zone – the Red Forest. They dug trenches there and stayed for quite a long time, but there are no clear reports of any deterioration in their health due to radiation exposure.
Life after Chornobyl
The Chornobyl accident triggered a major review of nuclear safety and nuclear energy regulation. The event served as a reminder of the potential risks of nuclear power plants and the need for robust safety measures. Many countries have improved their programmes and international standards have been strengthened.
In Ukraine, the Chornobyl accident is considered one of the biggest disasters of the twentieth century. The exclusion zone is traditionally perceived as something scary. There are whole myths and legends about mutations of animals and plants in the Exclusion Zone, but there is virtually no documentary evidence for them, except for the fact that the local ecosystem has flourished and thrived without human intervention.
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, there was tourism in the Exclusion Zone, and it was possible to get there with a tour group. It is believed that many places there are still dangerous. At the same time, there has been more and more talk recently that the Zone can be “opened” to people and economic activity, as the level of health hazards is no longer critical.