Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
On the anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster on April 26, 1986, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the world to pressure Russia into freeing Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from occupation.
«For the past 785 days, Russian terrorists have held the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) under occupation. It is the responsibility of the entire world to exert pressure on Russia to ensure the liberation of the ZNPP and its return to full Ukrainian control. Additionally, we must protect all Ukrainian nuclear facilities from potential Russian strikes», – he emphasized.
According to the President, these are the only means to prevent new radiation disasters, which are constantly looming due to the presence of Russian occupiers at the ZNPP.
He also highlighted the Russian occupation of the Chernobyl NPP in 2022.
«In 2022, Russia occupied the Chernobyl NPP for 35 days. Russian soldiers pillaged laboratories, detained guards, mistreated staff, and exploited the station for further military operations», – the President noted.
Zelenskyy stressed that radiation disregards borders and national flags.
«The Chernobyl disaster demonstrated how swiftly deadly threats can emerge. Tens of thousands of individuals sacrificed their health and lives to mitigate the disaster’s consequences in 1986 and the subsequent years», – he remarked.
Zelenskyy also honored the dedication of those who saved lives in 1986.
«We are grateful to all who are currently contributing to saving lives», – the head of state concluded.
The Chernobyl accident, which occurred 38 years ago, remains recognized as the largest man-made disaster in history.
The Chernobyl disaster resulted in radiation spread across 27 countries, the evacuation of over 100,000 people, contamination of five million hectares of land, and the establishment of a 30-kilometer exclusion zone. Among the 600,000 liquidators, 10% lost their lives, and 165,000 were left disabled. All of these devastating consequences stemmed from the Chernobyl disaster.