As the conflict in Ukraine persists, new unsettling images have surfaced from within the location of the most catastrophic nuclear incident in the world.
Photographer Genya Savilov from AFP, in collaboration with Greenpeace, have been granted rare entry into the site of the infamous Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Greenpeace has issued a warning about the potential for increased environmental radioactivity release due to an uncontrolled collapse of the internal radiation shield at the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
Our photo collection exposes the disconcerting current state of the facility, nearly four decades after the 1986 explosion that scattered radioactive particles worldwide.
The tragic event occurred on April 26, 1986, when an explosion and subsequent fire at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine led to the release of radioactive contaminants into the air.
While numerous individuals lost their lives in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophe, the long-term death toll from radiation exposure is estimated to be in the thousands.
Oleksandr Skomarokhov, the deputy technical director responsible for managing radioactive waste at Chernobyl, is seen using a phone within the control room of the inactive reactor 3.
Within the control room of the non-operational reactor 3, a control panel is visible.
A glimpse inside the control room of the inactive reactor 3 is captured.
A radiation warning sign is displayed on a panel within the control room of the devastated fourth unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Engineers are observed conversing in front of monitors inside the control room of the New Safe Confinement—a protective metal structure encasing the damaged fourth reactor.
A radiation protection engineer is depicted working near the sarcophagus covering the destroyed fourth reactor.
Oleksandr Skomarokhov is shown speaking on a mobile phone in the “golden corridor” of the nuclear plant, leading to the control rooms of reactors 3 and 4.
Within the control room of the ruined fourth unit, a haunting scene is captured.
Individuals are seen inspecting protective masks before entering the control room of the demolished fourth reactor.
People clad in protective gear are present inside the control room of the destroyed fourth unit.
A tribute to the first victim of the Chernobyl disaster, Valery Khodemchuk, senior circulating pump operator of the fourth unit, is displayed on the wall between blocks 3 and 4.
Outside the facility, the Prometheus monument, dating back to the plant’s establishment, is visible.
Representatives from Greenpeace and members of the media visit the New Safe Confinement at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Engineers are shown discussing in front of monitors within the control room of the New Safe Confinement structure.
