Ukraine declassified documents on the Chernobyl disaster
On the 35th anniversary of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the State Archives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) published secret documents about the man-made disaster that occurred on April 26, 1986, TASS reports with reference to the press service of the department.
So, the very first report from the director of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant Viktor Bryukhanov on the explosion at the reactor of the fourth power unit, negotiations of operators, reports on the evacuation of almost 45 thousand residents of Pripyat and the surrounding areas were published. As follows from the published documents, serious incidents at nuclear power plants occurred before April 26, 1986. Thus, a significant release of radioactive substances occurred in 1982 at the first power unit. At the same time, the State Security Committee (KGB) “took measures to prevent panic and provocative rumors”, which is reflected in the corresponding report. In 1984, emergencies were recorded at the third and fourth power units.
According to the SBU, in July 1986, a directive appeared, which ordered to classify all the details of the Chernobyl accident, information about the causes of the disaster, the radiation situation, the elimination of the consequences of the accident and contamination.
The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant occurred on April 26, 1986. It has become the largest disaster in the history of nuclear power. About 600 people from the station personnel and firefighters received high doses of radiation, 28 of them died during 1986. More than 200 thousand square meters were exposed to radioactive contamination. km, of which 70% – on the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. More than 600 thousand people took part in the liquidation of the consequences of the accident. In December 2000, the work of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was completely stopped.
