STORY: Ukraine on Sunday (April 26) marked the fortieth anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster during a ceremony at the time the fourth reactor exploded in 1986 , with a bell rung by a man wearing a white protective suit and onlookers laying flowers and lighting candles.

The monument, bearing images of victims of the disaster at the nuclear power plant, was surrounded by people in white protective suits holding candles during the ceremony which started late on Saturday (April 25) in Slavutych, northern Ukraine.

Close to the monument, crowds added to lit candles arranged in the shape of a nuclear symbol.

Marking the disaster - which spewed radioactive material across much of Europe despite efforts by Soviet authorities to hide the scale - has taken on sharp new meaning during Russia's invasion of its smaller neighbour.

Millions were exposed to radiation, hundreds of thousands forced to flee, and wide swathes of land contaminated after the accidental explosion and resulting meltdown inside reactor four at the Soviet-built plant in the early hours of April 26, 1986.

Thousands have since succumbed to radiation-related illnesses such as cancer, although the total death toll and long-term health effects remain a subject of intense debate.

A vast international effort saw the installation of a massive steel and concrete arc in 2016 to shield the original sarcophagus hurriedly built in 1986 to cover tons of radioactive debris.

However, a February 2025 Russian drone strike punctured its hermetic seal, officials said. No leaks were detected, but the arc needs at least 500 million euros worth of repairs to prevent permanent damage, according to the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: SLAVUTYCH, UKRAINE (APRIL 26, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

1. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN WHITE PROTECTIVE SUITS STANDING IN FRONT OF MONUMENT HOLDING CANDLES, BELL IN BACKGROUND

2. MAN IN WHITE PROTECTIVE HOLDING BELL ROPE

3. MAN RINGING BELL AT THE TIME THE FOURTH REACTOR EXPLODED IN THE NUCLEAR DISASTER IN 1986 (TIMECODE: APRIL 25, 2026 2123GMT), BELL RINGING, MAN REPLACING ROPE

4. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN WHITE PROTECTIVE SUITS STANDING

5. PEOPLE KNEELING AT FOOT OF BELL TO LAY FLOWERS

6. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING PAST MONUMENT, LAYING FLOWERS

7. VARIOUS OF ELDERLY MAN WITH MEDALS LAYING FLOWERS

8. FLOWERS AT BASE OF MONUMENT IN UKRAINIAN NATIONAL COLOURS, PEOPLE FILING PAST AND LAYING FLOWERS

9. PERSON IN WHITE PROTECTIVE SUIT HOLDING A CANDLE

10. CANDLES AND FLOWERS ON MONUMENT, PEOPLE FILING PAST

11. CANDLE BURNING ON MONUMENT

SLAVUTYCH, UKRAINE (APRIL 25, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

12. WOMAN HOLDING CANDLE

13. LIT CANDLES ON GROUND IN SHAPE OF NUCLEAR SYMBOL

14. PEOPLE PLACING CANDLES ON GROUND IN CIRCLE AROUND NUCLEAR SYMBOL CANDLE ARRANGEMENT

15. VARIOUS OF CANDLES

16. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WATCHING