On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Kyiv went into meltdown when a faulty reactor overheated, resulting in an explosion.

Described as the worst disaster in the history of nuclear energy, 31 people died as a direct result of the explosion, and thousands of others developed health complications from radiation fallout.

Taking to social media to commemorate the anniversary, Zelenskyy said: "Tens of thousands of people suffered the Chernobyl disaster, at the expense of their health and lives, and eliminated its terrible consequences in 1986 and much later.”

He added that in 2022, the nuclear power plant was under Russian occupation for 35 days and that "Russian soldiers looted the laboratories, imprisoned guards, abused staff” before pointing out that Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine has been in Russian hands for 785 days.

He said: "It is the duty of the whole world to put pressure on Russia to ensure security that the nuclear power supply (...) is in full control of Ukraine and all internal elements in Ukraine are protected against Russian attacks.”