Ceremony to mark 38th anniversary of Chornobyl nuclear power plant accident

A ceremony was held in northern Ukraine on Friday to remember those who died in the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear accident.

After the participants laid flowers at a cenotaph, Oleh Bondarenko, chairman of the environmental policy committee of Ukraine's supreme council, praised those who put out the fire at the Chornobyl plant, saying the move saved the world from a radiation disaster.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media on the same day "It is the entire world's responsibility to put pressure on Russia" to ensure that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is liberated, and that all Ukrainian nuclear facilities are protected. He said, "This is the only way to prevent new radiation disasters."

In early April, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was attacked for three days in a row.

Russia says the attacks were carried out by Ukrainian forces using drones. But Ukraine says Russia staged a false flag operation in order to make it seem as if Ukraine was responsible.