Ukraine marked the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster on Saturday, remembering the world's worst nuclear accident that occurred on April 26, 1986, when an explosion at the nuclear power plant released radioactive material across Europe.

The disaster led to the immediate evacuation of the nearby city of Pripyat, which remains abandoned four decades later. The explosion and subsequent fires released radioactive particles that spread across much of Europe, with the most severe contamination occurring in areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

The anniversary takes place as Ukraine continues to face an ongoing war with Russia that began in February 2022. The conflict has added new complications to the Chernobyl exclusion zone, which Russian forces occupied early in the war before withdrawing. The area is now under military control as part of Ukraine's security arrangements.

Photographic documentation from the first days of the disaster and the years that followed shows the massive response effort, the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents, and the long-term environmental and health consequences of the accident. The abandoned city of Pripyat stands as a testament to the disaster's impact, with buildings and infrastructure frozen in time since the evacuation.

While various proposals have been discussed for potential economic uses of the contaminated zone, current conditions mean the area will remain under military administration and security control for the foreseeable future. The anniversary serves as a reminder of both the lasting impact of nuclear accidents and the ongoing challenges Ukraine faces during wartime.