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    Russian aggression against Ukraine is fundamentally changing the principles of nuclear safety that have evolved over the 40 years since the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The task of the international community is to consolidate efforts in response to these new challenges and to prevent new accidents or incidents that could permanently undermine confidence in nuclear energy.

    This was among the key topics discussed during a thematic event dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, held on 13 May at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

    The event was moderated by Boris Ruge, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, who will soon take up the post of German Ambassador to Ukraine. The Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO, Aliona Hetmanchuk, representatives of NATO member states, and international partners also took part in the event.

    The SSE Chornobyl NPP and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have signed Grant Agreement No. 6 “Works and Services to Support the Repair and Restoration of the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant after the Russian Military Attack on February 14, 2025”.

    The signing ceremony took place on April 26 within the framework of the International Chornobyl Conference on Restoration and Nuclear Safety. The event was attended by Director General of SSE Chornobyl NPP Serhii Tarakanov, EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso, Director of the EBRD Nuclear Safety Department Balthazar Lindauer, and the First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.

    On April 26, 2026, commemorative events were held at the Chornobyl NPP site to mark the 40 th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster.

    High-level international and national delegations attended the event, including President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Moldova Maia Sandu, First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Odile Renaud-Basso, as well as European Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Dan Jørgensen, energy ministers of partner countries, and other distinguished guests. The participants paid tribute to the memory of the accident’s liquidators and all victims of the tragedy, expressing deep gratitude for their courage,heroism and self-sacrifice. 

    Operational and technical documentation agreed with the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine, and based on the conclusions of the state nuclear and radiation safety review, establishes the design service life of the Shelter Object’s localizing structure until 31 October 2029, with the possibility of extension subject to an appropriate safety justification. This extension is intended to support the safe preparation and dismantling of unstable structures. As of the reporting date, the Shelter Object’s localizing structure continues to perform its functions in accordance with the technological regulations governing the NSC-Shelter complex.

    Following the drone strike of 14 February 2025 and the subsequent fire-fighting activities, the arch of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) – designed to ensure confinement of radioactive materials in the event of failure of the Shelter Object’s localizing structure – has lost its ability to fully maintain the leak-tightness of its internal volume. Nevertheless, the NSC’s protective envelope continues to partially fulfill its primary function, namely the ecological isolation of the destroyed unit of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant from the environment.

    These days, several events dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster are taking place simultaneously in the Austrian capital. The Director General of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Serhii Tarakanov, participated in the events, emphasizing the unity of Ukraine’s position on the international stage, as well as the key role of Chornobyl NPP in ensuring nuclear safety, preserving memory, and fostering international cooperation, even 40 years after the disaster.

    On April 13, 2026, the photo exhibition “Chornobyl 1986–2026: Memory and Resilience” opened at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. The event became part of Ukraine’s international agenda within the framework of the 10th Review Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The exhibition was implemented by the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, with the support of the Government of Norway.

    1. ChNPP Director General: the IAEA should punish Rosatom for political and technical cover-up of Ukrainian nuclear power plants occupation
    2. Chornobyl NPP Employees Participate in International Digitalization Seminar
    3. Chornobyl NPP handed over English-language books from the IAEA to children in Slavutych
    4. On the eve of the Assembly of the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account, Chornobyl NPP, EBRD and French companies Bouygues and Vinci discussed key tasks for restoring the NSC functionality

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