Round Table “40th Anniversary of the Chornobyl Tragedy: Lessons of the Past and Challenges of Nuclear Safety Today”

On April 21, 2026, a round table titled “40th Anniversary of the Chornobyl Tragedy: Lessons of the Past and Challenges of Nuclear Safety Today” was held in Kyiv at the headquarters of JSC “NNEGC Energoatom.” The event, jointly organized by the Ukrainian Nuclear Society, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Peace Council, brought together leading scientists, government officials, and international experts in a hybrid format.

The primary objective of the meeting was to honor the victims of the 1986 disaster and to engage in a professional discussion regarding critical threats to nuclear safety caused by russia’s war against Ukraine, attacks on energy infrastructure, and the ongoing occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Opening the session, Pavlo Kovtonyuk, Acting CEO of JSC “NNEGC Energoatom,” Oleh Rafalskyi, Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and Mykhailo Zgurovskyi, Chairman of the Ukrainian Peace Council, emphasized the urgent need to rethink international security frameworks. It was noted that the world today faces an unprecedented challenge: operating nuclear infrastructure located within an active war zone. The situation at the occupied ZNPP, which the invaders have turned into a tool for nuclear blackmail, was identified as the greatest global threat.

In his report, Pavlo Kovtonyuk detailed the evolution of safety standards at Ukrainian NPPs. He stressed that over the past forty years, the industry has undergone profound modernization, implementing passive safety systems and strengthening safety culture. In wartime conditions, Ukrainian plants have been forced to demonstrate exceptional resilience against direct military risks and cyberattacks, effectively becoming “fortresses” of the state’s energy independence.

Volodymyr Kholosha, President of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society, devoted his speech to a comprehensive analysis of the two largest accidents in history – Chornobyl and Fukushima Daiichi. He highlighted the transition from national response systems to global responsibility and noted that modern realities require updating international law to guarantee the inviolability of nuclear power plants during armed conflicts.

The theme of historical review and the future of the Chornobyl Zone was continued by Anatolii Nosovskyi, Academician of the NAS of Ukraine and Director of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants. He presented an analysis of measures taken to overcome the consequences of the disaster – from the construction of the “Shelter” object to the New Safe Confinement (NSC). The academician emphasized that Russian aggression and the damage to the NSC by a combat drone have indefinitely postponed plans for the removal of nuclear materials. Mr. Nosovskyi proposed developing the 10-kilometer zone as an industrial and scientific nuclear hub, while simultaneously restoring local self-governance and developing scientific and educational tourism.

Within the expert panels, former Ministers of Ecology Yurii Kostenko and Vasyl Shevchuk, along with representatives of academic institutes, analyzed the risks of erosion of nuclear non-proliferation regimes amidst geopolitical turbulence. A special guest from Japan shared unique experiences in overcoming the consequences of the Fukushima accident to enhance international coordination.

A special segment of the event was a solemn ceremony honoring those who have dedicated their lives to ensuring nuclear safety. During the round table, liquidators – employees of Energoatom and members of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society – were presented with commemorative awards. Additionally, Volodymyr Kholosha, President of the Ukrainian Nuclear Society, and Danylo Lavrenov, Executive Secretary and First Vice President, were awarded jubilee medals for the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl accident by the Institute for Safety Problems of NPPs of the NAS of Ukraine.