Oleksandr Hryhorash, Head of the Operational Control Department at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant

Forty years after the Chornobyl disaster, the world is once again confronting the specter of nuclear risk—this time in a radically different context. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated that scenarios once deemed unthinkable can, in fact, materialize. The seizure of nuclear facilities, the shelling of critical infrastructure, and the use of power plants as instruments of coercion have all cast serious doubt on the resilience of the international security architecture.

In its program “There Is a Conversation,” Ukrinform spoke with Oleksandr Hryhorash, Head of the Operational Control Department at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, about emerging risks, Ukraine’s unprecedented experience, and the key lessons the world has yet to absorb.

Khrystia Ravliuk: Mr. Hryhorash, forty years after the Chernobyl tragedy—are these two separate chapters, or a single story still unfolding?

Oleksandr Hryhorash: It is unquestionably a continuation of the same story that began in 1986. What has changed is the plant’s operational role. Then, it generated electricity; today, it consumes it. But this does not mean the story is over. Nuclear installations remain active on site, radioactive waste management facilities continue to operate, and the Shelter object—together with the New Safe Confinement—remains in place. In essence, the processes are ongoing, and this story is still far from its conclusion.

KR: Can Chornobyl today once again be considered a potential global threat?

OH: Chornobyl has never ceased to pose a potential threat since the accident. As long as fuel-containing materials remain inside the Shelter in a state that is not fully controlled, the risks persist. Their scale may fluctuate depending on external factors—particularly military ones.

KR: What risks emerged during the occupation of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 2022?

OH: It was an unprecedented case—effectively an act of nuclear terrorism. It was not just the seizure itself. It involved the deployment of military equipment on the plant’s grounds, breaches of safety protocols, and the risk of damage to critical infrastructure. Most troubling of all, the international community responded with notable restraint, despite the fact that such actions directly violate international conventions.

KR: Why has the international community still not delivered a firm response?

OH: In my view, the world was simply unprepared for such a scenario. No one had seriously accounted for the possibility that nuclear facilities could be deliberately seized and used for military purposes. When it happened, it exposed the absence of clear response mechanisms.

KR: Are there currently any mechanisms to protect nuclear facilities during wartime?

OH: Practice has shown that effective mechanisms do not exist. Even international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, were not ready for challenges of this nature. Certain approaches are now under discussion, but this is a time-consuming process and, so far, it has not yielded rapid results.

KR: Why does the aggressor state remain within international structures?

OH: This is a matter of political expediency. I see no other convincing explanation. Many factors are involved, but the decisive ones are political choices made at the global level.

KR: Was the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant used as a tool of coercion?

OH: Yes, unequivocally. During the occupation, Russian forces used the plant as a form of “shield,” aware that no one would risk striking it. A similar dynamic can now be observed at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

KR: Why hasn’t the world mobilized in the same way Ukraine has?

OH: Because, until the very end, the world did not want to believe it. There was a widespread sense that this was either temporary or fundamentally impossible. While Ukraine acted, much of the world remained in a reactive, observational mode.

KR: What role can Ukraine play in strengthening global nuclear safety?

OH: Ukraine possesses unique, hard-earned experience that no other country has. Our responsibility is to share it as widely as possible—to articulate the risks clearly and demonstrate the real-world consequences of such scenarios.

KR: How do you remember the beginning of the invasion?

OH: It is a deeply personal moment. I learned about the start of the war while riding in metro train, when phones began ringing simultaneously across the carriage. What followed was continuous work—essentially around the clock, without any opportunity to return home.

KR: Were there moments when you felt the risk of a repeat of 1986?

OH: Yes, on several occasions. Particularly during the shelling of nuclear facilities and the seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant—scenarios that had previously been almost unimaginable.

KR: What impressed you the most?

OH: The people. Their resilience, their sense of responsibility, and their readiness to work under any conditions. Without that, the system simply would not have held.

KR: What was the situation at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant during the occupation?

OH: Extremely difficult. The plant was seized and later lost external power. For a period, it had to rely on diesel generators. The personnel effectively had no rotations, working hundreds of hours without rest.

KR: Is Chornobyl about the past or the future?

OH: Both. The work there will continue for decades, and the issue will remain relevant.

KR: What is the key lesson the world has yet to learn?

OH: That even the least probable scenarios must be taken seriously. If something appears impossible, it does not mean it cannot happen.

KR: Can the war reshape global rules?

OH: I very much hope so. Without that, these risks will persist.

KR: What solutions could be effective?

OH: Automatic accountability mechanisms: sanctions, isolation, and exclusion from international organizations. Without such measures, the rules simply do not function.

Khrystia Ravliuk led this conversation

Photo: Kyrylo Chubotin / Ukrinform

Watch the conversation in full on Ukrinform’s YouTube channel