Chernobyl at 40: Ukraine Confronts Its Nuclear Past Amid Ongoing War

Forty years after the world's worst nuclear accident, the BBC's Jessica Parker visited the ghost city of Pripyat, abandoned since April 1986. The eerie, frozen landscape stands as a monument to the catastrophic failure at the nearby Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which released radiation across much of Europe and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands.

The anniversary carries particular weight given Ukraine's current circumstances. The Chernobyl plant was briefly occupied by Russian forces early in the war in 2022, raising alarm among nuclear safety experts. The broader conflict has repeatedly brought fears of nuclear incident back into the mainstream of European security debate.

For Ukrainians, Chernobyl represents both a historical wound and a living political symbol. At a time when the country is simultaneously fighting a major land war and seeking durable peace arrangements — as reflected in Zelensky's recent diplomatic travels — the 40th anniversary is a reminder that Ukraine carries a uniquely complex nuclear inheritance, one that shapes both its domestic politics and its relationships with international partners concerned about nuclear safety and non-proliferation.