On 24 February Ukraine informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that Russian forces had taken control of all facilities at Chernobyl ( see below).Some 350,000 people were evacuated as a result of the accident, but resettlement of areas from which people were relocated is ongoing.The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation has concluded that, apart from some 5000 thyroid cancers (resulting in 15 fatalities), 'there is no evidence of a major public health impact attributable to radiation exposure 20 years after the accident.'.Two Chernobyl plant workers died due to the explosion on the night of the accident, and a further 28 people died within a few weeks as a result of acute radiation syndrome.The resulting steam explosion and fires released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the environment, with the deposition of radioactive materials in many parts of Europe.The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel.For further information see page on Russia-Ukraine War and Nuclear Energy. In February 2022, Russia launched a military offensive against Ukraine.
