Thirty-nine years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, nations affected by the catastrophe are marking the anniversary with both progress reports and warnings of new nuclear threats 
. Belarus reports that contaminated land area has been reduced by half, with successful cultivation of crops like wheat and rapeseed in restored territories . However, Ukrainian officials warn that Russian military actions around nuclear facilities, including the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, pose new risks to nuclear safety 
.
The human toll of the disaster continues to resonate. Azerbaijan currently supports 3,800 people with disabilities related to the cleanup efforts 
, while in Russia's Sverdlovsk region, only one-third of the original 6,000 liquidators remain alive 
. The initial disaster on April 26, 1986, resulted in 31 immediate deaths, with an estimated 600,000 people worldwide exposed to increased radiation doses .
Personal accounts from liquidators provide stark reminders of the catastrophe's immediate aftermath. Eugene Lazakovich, who was 21 years old at the time, recalls patrolling the 30-kilometer exclusion zone with 300 other students, encountering abandoned villages still containing children's toys and family photos 
. Nurse Alla Pogoskaya, who worked through the crisis, remembered working 'non-stop for days' to treat chemists, officials, conscripts, and firefighters .
Current concerns focus on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, under Russian control for three years. Greenpeace warns against plans to restart the facility, with the International Atomic Energy Agency's oversight of Russian operations drawing criticism for potentially violating Ukraine's territorial integrity .
Thirty-nine years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, nations affected by the catastrophe are marking the anniversary with both progress reports and warnings of new nuclear threats . Belarus reports that contaminated land area has been reduced by half, with successful cultivation of crops like wheat and rapeseed in restored territories . However, Ukrainian officials warn that Russian military actions around nuclear facilities, including the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, pose new risks to nuclear safety .
The human toll of the disaster continues to resonate. Azerbaijan currently supports 3,800 people with disabilities related to the cleanup efforts , while in Russia's Sverdlovsk region, only one-third of the original 6,000 liquidators remain alive . The initial disaster on April 26, 1986, resulted in 31 immediate deaths, with an estimated 600,000 people worldwide exposed to increased radiation doses .
Personal accounts from liquidators provide stark reminders of the catastrophe's immediate aftermath. Eugene Lazakovich, who was 21 years old at the time, recalls patrolling the 30-kilometer exclusion zone with 300 other students, encountering abandoned villages still containing children's toys and family photos . Nurse Alla Pogoskaya, who worked through the crisis, remembered working 'non-stop for days' to treat chemists, officials, conscripts, and firefighters .
Current concerns focus on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, under Russian control for three years. Greenpeace warns against plans to restart the facility, with the International Atomic Energy Agency's oversight of Russian operations drawing criticism for potentially violating Ukraine's territorial integrity .
✅Neutral reporting,
based on 37 🗞 sources
