Chernobyl Liquidators Visit Exclusion Zone for 40th Anniversary

A Solemn Return to the Scene of History's Worst Nuclear Accident

"The accident was a tragedy, but the anniversary is also an opportunity for former colleagues to see each other." — Oleksii Harbuz, 72, former medical officer

On April 21, 2026, one day before the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, a group of workers known as 'liquidators' visited the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The workers, aged 60 to 72, traveled from Ukraine's Poltava region for a one-day excursion.

The Disaster and Its Aftermath

On April 26, 1986, an explosion and fire occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Over the next four years, approximately 600,000 people from across the Soviet Union were mobilized to contain and clean up the radioactive contamination. Their tasks included:

• Dropping sand on the exposed reactor core
• Washing radioactive dust from buildings
• Burying contaminated equipment
• Clearing forests and culling animals

Voices of the Liquidators

Several liquidators provided accounts of their service and its lasting impact:

Anatolii Prylipko, 66, drove a fire truck for one month, starting nine days after the accident. He reported a health crisis in 1990 and noted that the landscape had changed significantly since his deployment.

Anatolii Krutik, 63, served in an army battalion fencing off contaminated territory. He stated that workers had little knowledge of the risks and few safety precautions were taken.

"We didn't know the true danger. We just followed orders."

Volodymyr Vechirko, 62, helped remove topsoil and clean buildings in summer 1986. He attributed chronic health issues to his work and described the visit as emotionally overwhelming.

Oleksii Harbuz, 72, served as a medical officer from May to September 1986. He described the anniversary as both a tragedy and a chance to reunite with former colleagues.

Mykola Chudak, 66, worked as a firefighter within 10 km of the plant from November 1986. He praised the first responders and stated that Ukraine's independence was linked to the Chernobyl disaster.

Oleksii Lebedynets, 65, served in the military from 1986 to 1991 building fences in contaminated areas. He reported lasting health effects and compared the invisible radiation threat to the current war in Ukraine.

Stanislav Tolumnyi, 65, worked on decontamination in Pripyat from 1987 to 1988. He said remembering the past is important for the future.

Serhii Buriak, 60, served in a special unit patrolling Pripyat in 1988. He said the return visit brought back memories of his youth and sense of duty.

Anatolii Taranenko, 62, worked as a security officer in 1989. He said deployments were short due to radiation and orders were followed without question.

Viktor Hluhovtsov, 66, was sent to fence off areas in Ukraine and Belarus. He joked about his illnesses and expressed hope to see the end of the war with Russia.

Reported Russian Attack Damages Historic Kyiv Cathedral

A Landmark of Eastern Orthodox Christianity Struck

The Monastery of the Caves is one of the holiest sites for Eastern Orthodox Christians.

On Monday, June 15, 2026, a large-scale attack attributed by sources to Russian forces occurred in Ukraine. The attack reportedly killed rescue workers in Kharkiv and wounded individuals in Kyiv.

A fire broke out at the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), a major Eastern Orthodox Christian monastic complex in Kyiv. Firefighters also responded to a blaze at a city marketplace following the attack. Multiple residential buildings were reported damaged.

Conditions in Russian-Occupied Territories: Civilian Accounts

Life Under Occupation

Ukrainians who fled Russian occupation in eastern Ukraine have described harrowing experiences. Inna Vnukova recounted hiding in a basement for days in Kudriashivka after the February 2022 invasion, with soldiers present in the streets and constant shelling. She escaped with her son to Estonia, leaving her husband temporarily behind. Her husband, Oleksii Vnukov, a civil servant, also faced threats before his escape.

Areas such as Mariupol and Kudriashivka continue to face severe difficulties regarding housing, water, power, heat, and healthcare. Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged these as "pressing, urgent problems."

Enforced Russification

Russian authorities enforce Russian citizenship, language, and culture in the annexed regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. By spring 2025, approximately 3.5 million people in these regions had received Russian passports, which are required for accessing essential services like healthcare.

"The Russian military maintains systemic and total control." — Mykhailo Savva, Center for Civil Liberties

Human Rights Concerns

Human rights activists report that residents in occupied regions live in fear of being accused of sympathizing with Ukraine, with many allegedly imprisoned, beaten, and killed. Practices include document checks, mass searches, and denunciations.

Human rights groups indicate that Russian authorities used "filtration camps" to identify potentially disloyal individuals, including:

• Government workers
• Those who aided the Ukrainian army
• Military relatives
• Journalists, teachers, scientists, and politicians

Stanislav Shkuta, who lived in occupied Nova Kakhovka, recounted narrowly avoiding arrest and witnessing strip searches for tattoos on a bus.

Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Center for Civil Liberties, reported that Russia has established a "vast network of secret and official detention centers" where thousands of Ukrainian civilians are held without charge. Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets estimated at least 16,000 civilians have been illegally detained.

A UN report from summer 2025 detailed accounts from 57 civilians detained in occupied regions, with 52 reporting severe beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, degradation, and threats. The case of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who disappeared in 2023 and whose body reportedly showed signs of torture upon return in 2025, was cited.

Destruction and Russification in Mariupol

Mariupol, captured by Russian forces in May 2022, experienced significant destruction, including the bombing of the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater, which resulted in an estimated 600 deaths. A former actor, whose parents remain in Mariupol, stated they had to obtain Russian citizenship for medical care and compensation for their destroyed home.

Russification efforts include:

• Changing street names
• Implementing Moscow-approved school curricula
• Using Russian phone and TV networks

New apartment blocks have been built, but are reportedly sold to Russian newcomers rather than former residents. At least 12,191 apartments in Mariupol were added to a list of "ownerless" flats for expropriation by mid-2025.

Infrastructure and Healthcare Challenges

Many occupied cities face severe issues with heat, electricity, and water supplies. In Sievierodonetsk, one ambulance crew serves the remaining 45,000 residents, with doctors rotating in from Russia. In Alchevsk, over half of homes lacked heat for two months due to poor municipal heating networks.

In the Donetsk region, residents experience constant water shortages. Some have appealed to Putin regarding a "humanitarian and environmental catastrophe." Putin acknowledged these issues and stated that a "large-scale socioeconomic development program" has been launched for the regions.

Personal Accounts of War's Four-Year Impact

Lives Transformed by Conflict

Ukrainians have shared personal accounts reflecting on four years of full-scale war, describing significant personal losses and transformations.

Tetiana Khimion, 47, a former ballroom dance teacher, now serves as a sniper in the Ukrainian army. Her husband enlisted early; she joined later, finding the precision and creativity of sniping suitable for her personality.

"Sniping requires precision and creativity. It suits who I am."

Oksana Osypenko, 43, a teacher, gave birth to her second son in 2020. Her husband, Oleksandr, a welder serving with territorial defense, was killed in a Russian airstrike in Chernihiv on March 3, 2022. She learned of his death more than two weeks later.

Liliia, 30, a dancer, met her boyfriend Bohdan in 2019. He volunteered with the Azov Brigade in 2015 and was among the first to respond to the 2022 invasion before being captured. A Russian court sentenced him to 18 years in prison. Liliia attends rallies in Kyiv to support prisoners of war.

Ruslan Knysh, 20, a war veteran, was 16 when the full-scale invasion began. He joined the Ukrainian army in February 2024. In October 2024, he was wounded in the Kharkiv region during a drone attack, resulting in the loss of his arms and legs. He is undergoing rehabilitation and planning for prostheses in the United States.

Yaroslav Nehoda, 40, and his wife Antonina welcomed their daughter in April 2025. On October 22, 2025, a Russian Shahed drone struck their family house in Pohreby, Kyiv region, killing his wife, 6-month-old daughter, and niece. Nehoda was in Kyiv that night.

Ivan Khmelnytskyi, 25, initially worked in a call center. He joined the State Emergency Service months after the invasion and now serves as a sergeant in an emergency rescue unit, primarily responding to missile and drone strikes.

Liudmyla Shytik, 77, and her husband Viktor, 78, built their lives in Vuhledar, Donetsk region. After shelling began on February 24, 2022, they sheltered in their basement for nearly a month before evacuating. Their house later burned down. An apartment in Kyiv they occupied was damaged by a missile strike in October 2022, injuring them and their daughter. They currently reside in social housing near Kyiv.

This article is presented as a neutral compilation of events and personal accounts.