Commemorative rally for victims of Chernobyl catastrophe held in Chisinau

A commemorative rally for the victims of the Chernobyl catastrophe today was held at the monument placed on Trandafirilor Street in Chisinau. The event brought together Moldovan citizens who participated in eliminating the consequences of the disaster, alongside officials and diplomats. Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatii paid tribute to the heroes who had intervened in 1986, stressing that the tragedy remains a painful lesson about nuclear security and responsibility for human life.

The official highlighted that the Chernobyl disaster had caused huge losses and marked entire generations, recalling that there were approximately 3,500 citizens of Moldova among those who took part in the liquidation efforts. According to Nosatii, they acted in extremely dangerous conditions, often without knowing the real risks they were exposed to, and many later paid with their health or even their lives.

The minister called for preserving the memory of these people and passing the lessons of the past on to younger generations, emphasizing that April 26 should be seen not only as a moment of remembrance, but also as a warning about the importance of preventing such tragedies.

“The Soviet regime at the time concealed the truth, and many of those involved did not know where they were going or what consequences this mission would have for their health and lives. Many of these heroes destroyed their health and lost their lives. Today, I urge you to bow your heads in respect for each of them. It is our duty to keep their memory alive and to tell future generations about the solidarity and dignity with which they intervened at that time. April 26 is not just a day of commemoration, but also a call to responsibility. From the Chernobyl catastrophe, we learn not only about nuclear security, but also about respect for each human life. Let us do everything in our power to ensure that such tragedies never happen again,” Nosatii said.

He also gave assurances that the authorities would continue to support those who had participated in the liquidation of the consequences of Chernobyl, including through social measures aimed at improving their living conditions.

For his part, the president of Moldova’s Chernobyl Union, Tudor Capatana, a former liquidator, warned that the effects of the catastrophe had not disappeared even after four decades. He drew attention to the persistent risks generated by radioactive contamination and stressed that the health of many participants continues to deteriorate.

“The so-called doses, the heavy particles that entered the bodies of the participants, together with the air we breathed, have lodged in all our organs and are slowly destroying the body until each of us dies. I do not want to frighten anyone, but the research carried out by specialists, using equipment installed on both sarcophagi, indicates a situation that is not good at the moment. Everything that was thrown out from the sarcophagus destroyed in 1986 has crumbled and turned into dust, and at a critical moment a new nuclear chain reaction is possible, which could become a second, much more serious Chernobyl,” Capatana said.

According to the data presented, by April 1, 2026, 1,212 participants in the liquidation have died, which represents almost half of the total. At present, 1,606 people are still alive, and every fourth person suffers from serious illnesses and is bedridden.

The former liquidator also recalled how many of the participants had been mobilized in 1986, without explanations and without information about the real dangers:

“These people were taken from their beds at night and sent into the radiation pit of Chernobyl,” he said, emotionally recalling those moments.

On April 26, it is 40 years since the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe, which occurred in 1986, when an explosion at reactor number four released massive amounts of radiation into the atmosphere.

The accident, still considered the most serious in the history of nuclear energy, generated a radioactive cloud that quickly spread over much of Europe, affecting millions of people and contaminating vast areas of land. According to United Nations data, more than 3.5 million people were hit and approximately 50,000 square kilometers were contaminated.