Kyiv, Ukraine – Forty years after the Chornobyl disaster spread radioactive contamination across Europe, the risks it exposed have evolved in a world shaped by war, geopolitical tension and more frequent extreme weather, where the vulnerability of nuclear power is abundantly clear.
The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine has brought these risks into sharp focus, with nuclear power stations operating in warzones where critical infrastructure is targeted, underscoring the challenges of relying on large, centralised energy systems in an increasingly unstable environment.
"Forty years after the start of the Chornobyl disaster, we are still living its consequences. The severe risks from nuclear power demonstrated by Chornobyl are being deliberately used by Russia as a weapon of war," Polina Kolodiazhna, Senior Campaigner from Greenpeace Ukraine said.
"Nuclear power stations have inherent risks, and those risks are escalating. Russia, for the first time in the history of warfare, has systematically attacked and occupied nuclear plants showing how they can be used as military and political tools. In a world at war, with massive geopolitical tension and climate extremes, those risks are increasing."
At the same time, decentralised renewable energy systems are showing a different model of resilience. Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, solar power combined with battery storage has helped keep hospitals, schools and municipalities functioning during blackouts. These systems are harder to disable, faster to repair, and continue to generate electricity even when parts of the grid are damaged.
One such example is the green Outpatient Clinic in Horenka, a village near Kyiv. After the Russian occupation of the Kyiv region caused massive damage, the clinic was rebuilt and equipped with a hybrid solar system and a heat pump. Olena Yuzvak, Director of the Green Outpatient Clinic in Horenka said renewable energy had made the vital facility "independent".
"We can now serve all our patients, no matter the Russian attacks on the energy system," she said. "But we became far more than "just" a green outpatient clinic. During energy shortages, people come to us for medical help but also to simply charge their phones or have a hot cup of tea. Horenka Clinic is a lifeline during blackouts."
The clinic also serves as a blueprint for a secure energy system that ensures Ukraine remains in control of its own power, through crisis and peace.[1]
But while decentralised systems are strengthening resilience on the ground, the risks associated with large, centralised nuclear infrastructure have not diminished. A new analysis commissioned by Greenpeace Ukraine finds that the primary functions of the New Safe Confinement (NSC), which contains the Sarcophagus and ruins of Chornobyl reactor unit 4, have been severely compromised as a consequence of last year's Russian dronestrike.[2]
Repairing the NSC is a priority due to the hazards posed by the radioactive materials inside, but continuation of Russia's war is a direct threat to these efforts. One design function of the NSC is to use enormous cranes to dismantle the Sarcophagus while preventing radioactive materials from escaping into the environment.
"The drone attack on the New Safe Confinement was a Russian-made war crime. After 40 years, the Chornobyl Sarcophagus is vulnerable and decades past its design life. The damage to the New Safe Confinement means years of repairs and further delays before the Sarcophagus can be safely dismantled," Greenpeace Ukraine nuclear expert Shaun Burnie said.
"Greenpeace has a simple and clear message: Russia must be stopped from weaponising nuclear power plants. There is a clear contradiction in EU policy when on the one hand it supports Ukraine while on the other it continues nuclear trade with Rosatom, which directly funds Russia's war against Ukraine. Full sanctions that end European nuclear business with Russia should be a European security priority."
Forty years after the Chornobyl disaster, the lesson is clear: nuclear risk is long lasting and difficult to contain. In today's unstable world, that risk is increasing. Safer, more resilient energy systems are already available. Governments should prioritise decentralised renewable energy to strengthen security, reduce vulnerability and build a more stable energy future.
