At 1:23 in the morning of April 26, 1986, operators in this control room of reactor #4 at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant committed a fatal series of errors during a safety-test, triggering a reactor meltdown that resulted in the world's largest nuclear accident to date.  Photographed here in late 2023, the empty room sits abandoned at the center of a vast, still heavily contaminated region.
Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant Control Room #4, Ukraine 2023

Chernobyl’s New Safe Confinement (NSC) falls quiet as the meaningful work halts; only a small team of workers lingers, while a lone dosimetrist takes daily radiation measurements.  Dwarfing and encapsulating the sarcophagus built with the help of robots to contain Chernobyl’s reactor #4, the NSC provides an impressive container for the devastating radioactive material, but in the wake of the Russian attack on Ukraine today stands stagnant for the near future. The Chernobyl New Safe Confinement (NSC) is a remarkable feat of engineering, designed to encase the damaged Reactor#4 at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Completed in 2016 and moved into place in November of the same year, the NSC is the world's largest moveable metal structure, measuring 108 meters high, 162 meters long, and 257 meters wide. This massive steel construction, costing about 1.5 billion euros, was built to prevent the release of radioactive contaminants, provide a safe environment for the decommissioning of the reactor, and halt the deterioration of the aging sarcophagus that was erected immediately after the accident.
New Safe Confinement, Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine 2023

In the depths of Reactor #4 an engineer hurries through the labyrinthine of heavily contaminated hallways, keenly aware of the need to minimize his exposure to radiation.
Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine 2023

The Turbine Hall of Power Unit 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station stands as a haunting relic of the catastrophic nuclear disaster that occurred in April 1986. Today, radiation levels in this area are still so high that, despite of protective clothing, access is limited to just two minutes. Scientifically, the Turbine Hall's significance lies in its direct connection to the reactor's cooling and power generation systems. It played a crucial role in the events leading to the 1986 disaster, housing the steam turbines and electrical generators that converted thermal energy from the nuclear reactor into electrical energy. The loss of control by operators over the reactor led to an unprecedented power surge. This surge triggered a series of explosions, severely damaging the reactor and surrounding structures, including the Turbine Hall.
Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine 2023

Nature is reclaiming abandoned homes in all the villages within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), approximately 150,000 square kilometers in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine are contaminated, resulting in the relocation of around 200,000 people due to the catastrophe. All 187 small communities within the exclusion zone remain virtually deserted. The number of abandoned small, predominantly wooden houses being engulfed by nature, like those pictured here, may well exceed 10,000.
Exclusion Zone, Ukraine 2023

The hospital in Chornobyl provides basic services, such as electrocardiography (as seen here), to an estimated 2400 shift workers in the Exclusion Zone. This includes workers at the ChNPP, scientists, technicians, cooks, support staff, and members of the national guard. Additionally, following the Russian attack on Ukraine, the hospital staff also tends to an undisclosed number of Ukrainian military personnel.
Chornobyl, Ukraine 2023

In the Red Forest, close to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, dosimetrist Oleksandr S. performs radiation measurements amidst the remains of Russian trenches. It is a risky business: Not only is the Red Forest one of the most contaminated areas in the Exclusion Zone but additionally Russian troops have left concealed landmines. Radiation levels in the Exclusion Zone increased substantially during Russia's assault on Ukraine in February 2022 after hundreds of tanks and military vehicles entered the area, disturbing the top layer of soil. This layer had served as a natural yet vulnerable barrier over highly contaminated deeper soil. Furthermore, Russian troops dug trenches, bunkers, and firing positions in the most contaminated areas of the Red Forest. It remains unclear whether the soldiers were aware of the high levels of contamination, or if their superiors simply disregarded the well-being of the troops. After the Russian withdrawal, an additional danger occurred due to the concealed landmines. The silent threat - that the Ukrainian forces have been painstakingly working to neutralize - is being exacerbated by near head-high grass.
Near ChNPP, Ukraine 2023

Today, a considerable portion of the clientele frequenting the five shops catering to the needs of temporary and shift workers in the town of Chornobyl comprises Ukrainian military personnel openly carrying weapons, as Chornobyl is designated as a military zone.
Chornobyl, Ukraine 2023

Known locally as Baba Hanna, 91-year-old Hanna Z. is one of only a handful of samosely (returnees) still residing in one of the deserted villages within the Exclusion Zone. 

Despite the radiation risks, by the early 1990s close to a thousand elderly individuals had illicitly returned to their ancestral homes within the 30-km Zone, preferring to die on their own contaminated soil instead of a broken heart in anonymous city suburbs. At first, Ukrainian authorities discouraged them, but soon turned a blind eye and even provided them with regular medical checkups. In recent times, their community has contracted—some have relocated to be with their families beyond the Zone, and many have succumbed to old age.
Kupovate, Ukraine 2023

In Buda Radinska, a village in close vicinity of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, a Caritas representative delivers humanitarian aid to a local family of eight on behalf of Chernobyl Children International (CCI).

CCI, a humanitarian organization established in 1991 in Ireland, is dedicated to supporting children and families affected by the Chornobyl nuclear disaster in Belarus and Ukraine. Following the Russian attack on Ukraine, which resulted in CCI's exclusion from Belarus, the organization has formed an alliance with Caritas, a global network of Catholic charity organizations. Through their collaborative efforts, Caritas and CCI have been consistently providing vital food supplies to families with numerous children in the destitute town of Radynka, which is nearly encircled by the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
Radynka, Ukraine 2023

Viktor Lelyk, a 72-year-old liquidator, played a crucial role in the initial cleanup of the Chornobyl disaster as one of the first responders, entering the reactor within an hour of the catastrophe. He worked tirelessly until August 1987 when he had to be hospitalized. Official records indicate he received 250 rem of radiation, though his actual exposure is likely higher. Lelyk was left with facial burns and lasting scars on his leg. He spent months bedridden, underwent eight surgeries on his hip and back, and requires a slew of medications.

Approximately 700,000 liquidators from across the Soviet Union contributed to containing the reactor and managing the aftermath of the disaster. Their bravery prevented a more catastrophic outcome, safeguarding not only Ukraine and its neighbors but also Europe and the world. Many liquidators endured high radiation exposure, leading to cancers and other ailments, often emerging decades later.
Kyiv, Ukraine 2023

Photographed in an unmarked room to protect her identity, Viktoriia M. (not her real name), a member of the National Guard at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, is overcome with emotion as she recounts the harrowing story of her husband. Also a member of the Ukrainian National Guard, he was detained by Russian troops during their occupation of Chornobyl two years ago. She is heartbroken because she has not yet received any sign that he is alive. Without knowing his whereabouts or the conditions he may be enduring, he is still one of the 10,000 believed to remain in Russian custody.
ChNPP, Ukraine 2023

Nature reclaims the remains of Russian trenches in the Red Forest, one of the most contaminated areas in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. 

Radiation levels increased substantially during Russia's assault on Ukraine in February 2022 after hundreds of tanks and military vehicles entered the area, disturbing the top layer of soil which had served as a natural yet vulnerable barrier over highly contaminated deeper soil. Nevertheless, Russian troops dug trenches, bunkers, and firing positions in the most contaminated areas of the Red Forest. It remains unclear whether the soldiers were aware of the high levels of contamination, or if their superiors simply disregarded the well-being of the troops. After the Russian withdrawal, an additional danger occurred due to the concealed landmines. The silent threat - that the Ukrainian forces have been painstakingly working to neutralize - is being exacerbated by near head-high grass.
Near ChNPP, Ukraine 2023

As the sun dips below the horizon, it bathes Chornobyl’s New Safe Confinement structure (NSC) in a golden light, standing as a modern sentinel over the abandoned city of Pripyat. The buildings, once home to 50,000 inhabitants, now sit silently, their dark silhouettes stark against the twilight sky, graced by the moonrise.  The NSC is a remarkable feat of engineering, designed to encase the damaged Reactor#4 at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, site of the catastrophic nuclear accident in 1986. Completed and moved into place in 2016, the NSC is the world's largest moveable metal structure, measuring 108 meters high, 162 meters long, and 257 meters wide. This massive steel construction, costing over 1.5 billion euros, was built to prevent the release of radioactive contaminants, provide a safe environment for the decommissioning of the reactor, and halt the deterioration of the aging sarcophagus that was erected immediately after the accident. Equipped with sophisticated systems for climate control, ventilation, and radiation management, the NSC is expected to last at least 100 years, significantly reducing the risk of further contamination from the site.
Pripyat, Ukraine 2023