On the anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, the Slovenian newspaper Demokracija published an article by the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Slovenia Petro Beshta — “From Chornobyl to Zaporizhzhia: Has Europe Learned the Lessons of Nuclear Risk?”

Chornobyl was a tragedy whose consequences were felt by millions of people across Europe — including in Slovenia.

Today, 40 years later, the issue of nuclear safety is once again becoming acute. Russia’s war against Ukraine has brought new, unprecedented challenges: the occupation of nuclear facilities, threats to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, and risks that know no borders.

📖 The article explores the connection between the past and the present, the question of responsibility, and why the lessons of Chornobyl remain relevant for all of Europe.

We invite you to read the full article.

From Chernobyl to Zaporizhzhia: Has Europe Learned the Lessons of Nuclear Danger?

Every year at the end of April, Europe remembers the Chernobyl disaster — a tragedy that became a symbol of the largest man-made catastrophe of the 20th century. The radioactive cloud did not stop at borders. It spread over Ukraine, Belarus, countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and reached the Balkans. Millions of people felt its consequences, including in Slovenia.

Chernobyl taught the world many lessons. Above all, that nuclear energy, even when used peacefully, requires absolute responsibility, transparency, and international oversight. That disasters of such scale are never local.

Nearly forty years have passed. One would think these lessons had become part of Europe’s collective memory. However, today we are forced to ask: have they truly been learned?

In 2022, with the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the world once again faced an unprecedented threat. Russian troops occupied the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Armed soldiers were present in an area where even short-term exposure without protection poses health risks. They dug trenches in the Red Forest — the most radioactively contaminated area.

For approximately five weeks, the facilities remained under military control. During this time:

• staff worked without rotation for over 600 hours;
• parts of the infrastructure and monitoring systems were damaged;
• radiation levels increased due to the movement of heavy equipment;
• military positions were established in areas with elevated radiation levels.

Although the situation was stabilized after Russian forces withdrew, this incident demonstrated the vulnerability of even those sites considered relatively safe.

These actions were not a mistake or negligence. They represented a deliberate disregard for all the principles on which the global nuclear safety system is based.

Today, the threat has only increased.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — the largest nuclear power plant in Europe — is under Russian control. Its occupation has lasted for more than three years. During this time, the plant has been transformed from an energy facility into a military base.

Russian forces deploy equipment and ammunition there, mine the territory, and use the site as cover for shelling. Cases of torture and unlawful detention of staff have been recorded. Fundamental nuclear and radiation safety requirements are being violated: the plant experiences power outages, equipment degradation, a shortage of qualified personnel, and limited access to critically important systems.

The International Atomic Energy Agency mission has been permanently present at the plant since September 2022 and regularly records violations of fundamental nuclear safety principles, particularly those related to external power supply, physical protection, and working conditions of personnel.

Another risk factor is the cooling system. After the destruction of the Kakhovka Reservoir in 2023, the plant lost its primary source of cooling water and switched to alternative reservoirs. This is technically acceptable but reduces safety margins in the long term.

This is a new reality the world has never faced before: a nuclear facility used as an instrument of war.

Particular concern is also caused by the situation around Chernobyl’s protective infrastructure. The New Safe Confinement was created through the joint efforts of the international community to cover the destroyed reactor and minimize the risk of radiation release. It is one of the largest engineering projects in the world and a symbol of global solidarity in the face of disaster.

But even this symbol is not untouchable in times of war. In 2025, shelling damaged the integrity of the “sarcophagus.” Any threat to this facility is not only a Ukrainian problem — it is a potential risk for all of Europe.

That is why these events cannot be viewed as a distant conflict affecting only Ukraine.

Slovenia, like many other European countries, has its own experience in using nuclear energy. The Krško Nuclear Power Plant is an important part of the country’s energy system and an example of responsible and safe use of nuclear energy.

Nuclear safety has no borders. An accident or incident at any nuclear facility in Europe — regardless of its location — will have consequences for everyone.

Today, Ukraine is effectively on the front line not only of military confrontation, but also of the struggle to preserve global nuclear safety principles. And this struggle already has a concrete dimension.

Despite the war, Ukraine continues to ensure the operation of its nuclear energy sector in accordance with the highest international standards. Ukrainian operators maintain the safe condition of power units even under constant attacks on energy infrastructure, which is critically important for reactor cooling and accident prevention.

Ukraine remains in constant coordination with the IAEA, ensuring the presence of international experts at all its nuclear power plants. This is an unprecedented level of transparency even in peacetime. Agency missions operate continuously, monitoring the situation and helping to prevent an accident.

The Ukrainian side also initiates and supports international protection mechanisms — in particular, the creation of a nuclear safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the implementation of principles that exclude the use of nuclear facilities for military purposes.

In other words, Ukraine today is not only defending itself. It is effectively containing a risk that could have continental consequences.

That is why the international community must act decisively. It is necessary to:

• ensure the full demilitarization of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant;
• return it under Ukraine’s control;
• guarantee the uninterrupted and independent operation of the International Atomic Energy Agency;
• increase international pressure to stop the use of nuclear facilities as instruments of coercion;
• and reconsider Russia’s participation in the global nuclear energy sector.

Impunity in this area creates a precedent that may have unpredictable consequences.

Chernobyl in 1986 was a tragedy the world could not prevent. Today, we have a chance to prevent a new one. The memory of Chernobyl is not only about the past — it is about responsibility in the present.