Ukraine honors Chernobyl heroes, warns of new nuclear threat from Russian aggression

"Today, we honor the heroic actions of the individuals who participated in mitigating the consequences of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. Hundreds of thousands of brave people undertook an enormous challenge at that time to protect not only Ukraine but humanity as a whole," wrote the Ukrainian Prime Minister on his Facebook profile.

"It seemed that the world had forever learned from this devastating experience," the politician continued, stressing that the Russian regime is once more leading the world to the brink of a nuclear disaster. This, according to Shmyhal, is another challenge for humanity.

"To stave off another immense technological disaster, we must stop Russia," stated Shmyhal.

The Ukrainian leader emphasized the need to prevent Russia from exploiting the threat of nuclear weapons, a sentiment echoed in the Peace Formula developed by President Volodymyr Zelensky. "The world needs to have a conversation about this," urged Shmyhal.

The Day of Remembrance for those involved in mitigating the Chornobyl disaster is annually observed in Ukraine on December 14. The date marks the anniversary of the completion of the coffin's construction over power unit no. 4 at the Chornobyl power plant.

On April 26, 1986, a hydrogen explosion resulting from an overheating reactor core led to a fire and the dispersal of radioactive substances. This event is considered the largest nuclear disaster in history and one of the major industrial catastrophes of the 20th century.