The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) has urged the international community to take action against a potential nuclear disaster in Ukraine, one that could surpass the severity of the Chornobyl disaster.
This is stated in the UCCRO's statement on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster.
The text of the document is provided below:
On April 26, 2026, Ukraine, together with the entire world, commemorates the 40th anniversary of the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which resulted in one of the most devastating nuclear disasters in human history. This catastrophe caused destructive humanitarian, social, and environmental consequences on a truly global scale.
Millions of Ukrainians and people from other countries suffered from the effects of radiation poisoning, the danger of which persists to this day. Only thanks to the heroism of the liquidators were the consequences of the Chornobyl disaster prevented from becoming even more severe and spreading across a larger part of Europe and the world.
Ukraine marks this anniversary in the fifth year of the full-scale war unleashed by the Russian Federation, whose regime is the moral successor of the authoritarian Soviet dictatorship — the system responsible for the Chornobyl tragedy. The seizure of the Chornobyl NPP at the beginning of the military aggression, Russian shelling of the sarcophagus of the destroyed reactor, and the ongoing occupation by Russia of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — the largest in Europe — pose a constant threat of new global-scale disasters.
As a result of the war, the territory of Ukraine has become the most contaminated in the world with mines, unexploded ordnance, and explosives, posing a danger to human life, land, water, and air.
In this context, we call upon the international community, as well as religious, public, and moral leaders of humanity, to take decisive action to prevent a new nuclear tragedy on Ukrainian soil, the scale of which could surpass the Chornobyl disaster.
On this day of sorrowful remembrance, we honor the heroism of the liquidators, commemorate the victims of the catastrophe, and pray for the health of those who continue to bear the burden of its consequences. On this day, we also offer our prayers for Ukrainian soldiers, rescuers, medical workers, volunteers, and everyone who, risking their lives, bring victory and a just peace for Ukraine closer.
The tragic experience of the Chornobyl disaster and the current challenges of war also urge us, as religious leaders, to repeatedly call people to spiritual renewal. For only a spiritually strengthened person is capable of responsibly responding to threats and effectively countering them.
Therefore, we call on every believer whose heart seeks truth, goodness, and the common good of Ukraine, on this day to turn in prayer to the Almighty for the healing of our land, the unity of the Ukrainian people, and victory over the forces of evil.
May God's blessing be upon Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, and may such tragedies as the Chornobyl disaster never happen again!
Kyiv, April 26, 2026