Myroslava Shcherbatiuk- Ambassador of Ukraine to Jordan

On April 26, 1986, the world trembled before a disaster that, in an instant, erased borders and spoke the language of radiation. On that day, the largest man-made catastrophe in human history occurred — the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was a tragedy that became a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the entire world.

Fatal mistakes during a low-power test at Reactor No. 4 of the plant led to a complete loss of control. The overheated nuclear fuel melted, protective barriers were breached, and the explosion hurled tons of dangerous radionuclides into the atmosphere. A radioactive cloud spread over Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and much of Europe. According to official data, around 2.4 million people were exposed to radiation, and over 52,000 square kilometers of farmland — an area larger than Denmark — were contaminated.
But perhaps the greatest horror was not the disaster itself, but the silence that followed. For three days, the Soviet authorities withheld the truth. Thousands could have been protected from exposure to elements like iodine-131, known to cause thyroid cancer. While the regime lied and concealed the scale of the tragedy, Ukrainian firefighters, police, soldiers — with no proper protection — confronted the invisible enemy. Over 350,000 liquidators risked everything to contain the disaster. Their sacrifice remains a symbol of unparalleled heroism.

A concrete sarcophagus was hastily built over the reactor to contain the radiation. Over time, it began to deteriorate. With international support, Ukraine completed the construction of a new shelter — a $1 billion project — in 2012. Every year, on April 26, we remember not only the sorrow, but the bravery. We remember so that we never allow it to happen again.

But in 2022, Ukrainians once again rose to defend the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
The start of Russia’s full-scale invasion marked a new dark chapter. Russian troops temporarily occupied the plant and took its defenders captive. This was not only a war crime — it was nuclear blackmail. Russia also seized Europe’s largest nuclear facility — the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — turning it into a military base. For the first time, the world witnessed nuclear energy being used not as a source of progress, but as a weapon of fear and terror.

These dangerous actions violate not only international law but the most basic principles of humanity. Nuclear facilities have become hostages of war. Any mistake, any intentional strike or provocation — and the world may face a catastrophe worse than Chernobyl.

On February 14, 2025, the world trembled once again: a Russian drone armed with a high-explosive warhead struck the protective shelter of Reactor No. 4 at Chernobyl. This is no longer just a war — this is nuclear terrorism. And its victims can be anyone — regardless of nationality, religion, or continent. Russia remains the only country in the world that targets nuclear sites, occupies atomic plants, and blackmails entire regions.

The international community must realize: nuclear safety in Ukraine is nuclear safety for all humanity. In 1986, Ukraine paid a terrible price for a human mistake. Today, we are on the frontline of a conscious madness. The only way to prevent another catastrophe is the full withdrawal of Russian forces from all nuclear sites and the restoration of Ukrainian control.

We cannot afford another Chernobyl. And we cannot remain silent while the world once again stands on the brink.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Myroslava Shcherbatiuk