A shooting outside the WHCA gala led to an arrest, prompting condemnation from EU leaders and expressions of solidarity with President Trump. Meanwhile, US-Iran tensions persist, diplomatic efforts continue in Lebanon, and Hungary's new leadership prepares for talks in Brussels.
Ukrainians commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion in Slavutych, the city built to house those displaced by the 1986 disaster. Participants dressed in white hazmat suits placed candles and flowers at a memorial to victims. Local blogger Olga Shevchenko emphasized that the current war should not diminish the significance of remembering the worst nuclear disaster in civilian history.
Also in this newsletter: On 40th Chernobyl disaster anniversary, Zelenskyy accuses Russia of committing 'nuclear terrorism.'
A major international study published in Science found that children conceived after the Chernobyl disaster show no additional DNA damage linked to their parents' radiation exposure. Researchers from the US National Cancer Institute analyzed DNA from families where parents helped with cleanup or lived near the exclusion zone, comparing de novo mutations across generations. The study of people born from 1987-2002 found no link between parental radiation exposure and mutations in offspring, challenging concerns about hereditary genetic effects from nuclear accidents.
Ukraine commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster as President Zelenskyy condemns Russian drone flights over the site as 'nuclear terrorism.' Meanwhile, Russian strikes continue across Ukraine, resulting in further casualties.
People streamed into the central square of Slavutych in the early hours of Sunday, placing candles on a large radiation hazard symbol laid out on the ground as a midnight commemoration began for those killed in the Chernobyl disaster 40 years ago and the thousands who risked deadly radiation exposure to contain its aftermath. Residents show up for the vigil each year despite wartime curfews and official warnings against large gatherings during Russia’s war on Ukraine. The April 26, 1986 disaster...
A group of Chernobyl liquidators returned to the exclusion zone in 2026 to mark the 40th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear accident. The visitors, including former firefighter Stanislav Tolumnyi, toured Pripyat and the New Safe Confinement structure covering the damaged fourth reactor. Around 600,000 people were mobilised across the Soviet Union after the April 26, 1986 explosion, many exposed to high radiation while building containment structures and clearing debris.
A VCIOM poll shows 68% of Russians believe a Chernobyl-type nuclear accident is unlikely in present-day Russia, up from 64% in 2016. The survey, conducted April 19, 2026 with 1,600 respondents, found experts note participants now focus on both environmental and biomedical effects of the 1986 disaster, whereas a decade ago they emphasized primarily biomedical aspects.
