Ukrainians Thought They Had Reduced Risks At Chernobyl. Then Russia Invaded

As of the article's publication, the NSC is no longer fully sealed and work on dismantling the sarcophagus is on hold due to Russia's invasion, with experts warning the delays could extend the process by a decade.

A drone struck the NSC's outer layer, starting a fire that took more than two weeks to extinguish. Firefighters arrived about 40 minutes later; monitors detected no rise in external radiation and no injuries were reported. The IAEA said the damage left the arch unable to fully perform its core safety functions (containing radioactive material and enabling safe dismantling), and could shorten the arch's 100-year lifespan.

In February 2022, Russian troops seized the Chernobyl plant. Staff kept operations running under armed guard for nearly three weeks; equipment was damaged and contaminated areas were disturbed as troops moved through the site.

The New Safe Confinement (NSC) arch was completed in 2019 to enclose Reactor No. 4 and enable dismantling of the damaged sarcophagus.

The site has not produced electricity since 2000, when the last of four reactors was shut down.

In 1993, Omelchenko returned to work in the plant's cafeteria after evacuation and displacement following the disaster.

Explosions at Reactor No. 4 on April 26, 1986, at about 1:23 a.m. released a cloud of deadly radiation that spread across Europe and shook the foundations of the Soviet Union.

Weeks after the accident, Omelchenko, a 19-year-old textile factory worker in Pripyat, woke to rumors of an accident and was evacuated with a small bag containing documents and cosmetics; she did not hear the explosion during a routine test.