Forty Years After Chernobyl: Ongoing Risks, Repairs, and Global Nuclear Policy

Recent War-Related Damage and Repair Efforts

During the first days of Russia’s 2022 invasion, Russian forces seized the exclusion zone and occupied the plant for a month, disrupting normal rotation of staff and exposing soldiers to radiation. In February 2025 a Russian drone struck the New Safe Confinement (NSC), the massive steel arch erected in 2016-17 to replace the original sarcophagus. The breach compromised the structure’s ability to contain residual radioactivity. The European Commission responded by allocating an additional €37 million to restore the NSC to full functionality by 2030, on top of the €423 million originally spent on its construction. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development estimates the repair cost at at least €500 million.

Chernobyl 40 years later: Between memory and the reality of war

On-the-Ground Accounts from Plant Workers

Plant personnel describe the occupation as “a violent fight” that left them “under armed supervision” with no relief rotations for weeks. Deputy director Denys Khomenko noted, “Emotions get in the way of logic, so you need to work calmly,” while warning that “a welder or other highly qualified personnel may only be able to work there for a few minutes, or perhaps a few hours.” Former shift supervisor Dmytro recalled that Russian troops “took everything they could carry” from the site before withdrawing in March 2022.

Official Responses and Funding Commitments

The EU’s External Nuclear-Safety Instrument (2021-2027) continues to finance nuclear-safety projects in Ukraine, totaling over €1 billion since 1991. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s director-general Rafael Grossi emphasized that “reliable, low-carbon electricity will be essential to meet the world’s rising energy demand.” The European Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen called Europe’s previous move away from nuclear “a strategic mistake.”

Chernobyl 40 years later: Between memory and the reality of war

Data, Statistics, and the Global Nuclear Landscape

Displaced after 1986: ~350 000; liquidators: ~600 000.

EU nuclear-safety aid to Ukraine: >€1 bn (including €423 m for the NSC).

Chernobyl 40 years later: Learning from the past

Current global fleet: >400 reactors in 31 countries, supplying ~10 % of electricity.

France operates 57 reactors (?70 % of its electricity); Russia runs 34 reactors, eight of which are RBMK types.

Planned new capacity: ~70 reactors under construction, many slated for the early 2030s, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

Chernobyl, 40 Years Since Disaster: Five Things to Know

Public Opinion and Ongoing Criticism

A YouGov poll shows Britons remain divided: 51 % support nuclear power, 29 % oppose, while 45 % consider it safe. The lingering memory of Chernobyl continues to shape public skepticism, especially in countries that have phased out nuclear generation (e.g., Germany, Italy).

YouGov Polling US

Conflicting Reports and Information Gaps

Casualty estimates range from 4 000 (UN) to 100 000 (Greenpeace). Ukrainian officials claim more than 150 Russian soldiers suffered acute radiation sickness during the 2022 occupation, but independent verification is lacking. Precise damage assessments of the NSC breach remain incomplete, and the timeline for full repair is still uncertain.

Verbatim Quotes

“Emotions get in the way of logic, so you need to work calmly,” — Denys Khomenko, deputy director for technical operations, Chernobyl plant.

“The risk is corrosion and that the structure will be undermined, and then this creates a risk in terms of nuclear safety,” — Odile Renaud-Basso, president, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

“I am 100% sure nuclear is coming back,” — Fatih Birol, executive director, International Energy Agency.

“I believe that it was a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power,” — Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.