President of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society, Volodymyr Kholosha, took part in an off-site joint meeting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine held at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant

On 6 May 2026, a joint off-site meeting of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Presidium of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine was held, dedicated to strategic issues related to overcoming the consequences of the Chornobyl disaster and the future development of the Exclusion Zone. The event served as a platform for discussing the scientific and technical support of activities at the plant’s industrial site.

The meeting was opened with welcome remarks by the President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Academician Anatolii Zahorodnyi. A key role in shaping the agenda and presenting strategic reports was played by:

• Pavlo Kovtoniuk, Acting Chairman of the Management Board of Energoatom, who delivered a report on current areas of cooperation in the nuclear sector.
• Anatolii Nosovskyi, Director of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of the NAS of Ukraine, who presented a comprehensive overview titled “Chornobyl: 40 Years On. From Catastrophe to Recovery, from Fear to Facts. A Historical Review and Vision for the Future.”
• Serhii Tarakanov, Director General of Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, with a report titled “Current State of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.”

The meeting also featured presentations by:

• Vasyl Lazoryshynets, President of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine.
• Volodymyr Feshchenko, Acting Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management.
• Viktor Sushko, First Deputy Director General of the State Institution “National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine.”
• Viktor Krasnov, Deputy Director of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of the NAS of Ukraine.

With a dedicated expert presentation titled “The Chornobyl Disaster: A Historical Perspective on the Events of 1986 and the Path to Overcoming Their Consequences,” the President of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society, Volodymyr Kholosha, addressed the meeting. He emphasized that Chornobyl fundamentally transformed the philosophy of global nuclear energy, introducing the concept of a “safety culture.”

Among the key points highlighted in Volodymyr Kholosha’s address:

• Safety transformation: The establishment of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) and the transition of the International Atomic Energy Agency to a more proactive regulatory role.
• New standards: The deployment of Generation III+ reactors with passive safety systems designed to minimize the human factor.
• Environmental risks: Forest fires remain the primary threat to the barrier function of the Exclusion Zone, triggering secondary radioactive contamination.
• Energy autonomy: A proposal to develop a woodchip-fueled incineration power plant to ensure reliable energy supply for facilities within the Exclusion Zone.

“Safety is not a state, but a continuous process,” concluded Volodymyr Kholosha in his address.

As a result of the meeting, a number of important documents were signed: a General Cooperation Agreement between the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Energoatom; a Joint Decision of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management regarding the scientific supervision of the operation of the Shelter Object and the New Safe Confinement; as well as a Cooperation Agreement between the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine and Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.