33rd anniversary of Chornobyl nuclear disaster marked today

The 33rd anniversary of the accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant is marked today.

On Saturday, April 26, 1986, a disaster occurred at Reactor Number 4, caused by a catastrophic power increase resulting in core explosions and open-air fires. This caused large quantities of radioactive materials and airborne isotopes to disperse in the atmosphere and surrounding land. The disaster has been widely regarded as the worst accident in the history of nuclear power in the world. As a result Reactor No. 4 was completely destroyed, and therefore enclosed in a concrete and lead sarcophagus, followed more recently by a large steel confinement shelter, to prevent further escape of radioactivity. Large areas of Europe were affected by the accident. The radioactive cloud spread as far away as Norway.

Initially, Moscow and the leadership of the Ukrainian SSR concealed the fact of the accident and the consequences of an environmental disaster. Sweden was first to report on the increase in radiation levels. The first official report appeared in the USSR only on April 28.

In the first days after the accident, the population of the 10-kilometer zone was evacuated. The evacuation zone was further expanded up to 30 kilometers.

At the end of 1986, the destroyed reactor was covered with a special “sarcophagus” to prevent the spread of radiation. According to experts, about 95% of fuel remained in the reactor at the time of the accident, as well as a significant amount of radioactive substances, which consist of the remnants of the destroyed reactor. For safety reasons, on December 15, 2000, the operation of the Chornobyl NPP was suspended. At the same time, the Shelter, erected in 1986, was gradually destroyed.

Ukraine appealed to the international community regarding competition of projects on transforming the shelter. In 2004, a tender was held for the design and construction of a new “sarcophagus” - the New Safe Confinement. This project is fully funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development: 40 donor countries provided about EUR 1.5 billion for construction. As a result, on August 10, 2007, the contract on construction of the NSC was signed, and on October 29, 2007, the construction works kicked off. The best Ukrainian and foreign specialists were involved in the construction.

On November 29, 2016, the shelter was covered by the NSC Arch. Now the New Safe Confinement over the destroyed power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is being prepared for commissioning. In the future, the works will be carried out to dismantle unstable structures of the shelter. According to the designer plan, the new building will solve the problem for at least a hundred years, although it is planned to eliminate the NPP in 2065.

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