April 26 marks the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. On this day, activists and concerned citizens will gather simultaneously in many cities around the world to honor the memory of the tragedy’s victims and remind the world that, due to russia’s actions, the nuclear threat has once again become a reality for us.
The event is organized by UAnimals and the International Center for Ukrainian Victory (ICUV) together with other partners.
Why are we taking action right now?
Forty years ago, the Chernobyl disaster proved that radiation does not distinguish between borders, passports, or species. It destroys people, animals, and entire ecosystems alike.
Today, russia has turned this tragedy into a weapon. Since 2022, it has occupied the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — the largest in Europe — and is using it as a military shield. Every day, the aggressor deliberately destroys energy infrastructure, pushing the world to the brink of a new catastrophe.
“Rosatom is not an energy company. It is a military-industrial complex with nuclear cover, where 21 entities within the corporation are directly involved in weapons production — from drone components to technologies for the ‘Oreshnik’ ballistic missiles. The absence of sanctions allows Rosatom to freely import dual-use technologies, including those for the production of Kh-series cruise missiles. While the Armed Forces of Ukraine exhaust this death machine at the cost of their blood — through kinetic sanctions on oil refineries and strikes on war logistics and infrastructure — Europe continues to fund this very machine through nuclear contracts. Sanctions are not a bureaucratic package or a diplomatic gesture; they are a means of defense. Right now, as Ukrainian defenders pay the highest price, solidarity must look like this: stopping the financing of murderers”, — Vlada Dumenko, International Centre for Ukrainian Victory (ICUV).
Meanwhile, Rosatom — the state-owned nuclear corporation directly involved in the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — remains unsanctioned. The corporation continues to supply 30% of enriched uranium to European Union countries, earning money that fuels the Russian war machine.
“In our work at UAnimals, we see every day how russia is systematically destroying all life: people, animals, and entire ecosystems. russia’s control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is a deliberate move toward a new tragedy that must be stopped,” says Olga Matsko, head of the strategic initiatives department at UAnimals.
Where and when will the protests take place?
The events will take place on April 26 and on adjacent dates in the following cities abroad:
- Paris: April 25 at 3:30 p.m. at Place Saint-Michel.
- Austin: April 25 at 11:00 a.m. CT in front of the Texas State Capitol.
- Edinburgh: April 25 at 2:00 p.m. near the Duke of Wellington Monument.
- Oslo: April 26 at 12:00 p.m. at the square in front of the Parliament (Eidsvolls plass).
- Warsaw: April 26 at 12:00 PM at Plac Zamkowy under Sigismund’s Column.
- Stockholm: April 26 at 12:00 PM at Sergels torg.
- Sydney: April 26 at 2:00 PM near the Museum of Contemporary Art.
- Linköping: April 26 at 4:00 PM at Stora torget (near the flagpoles).
- Plovdiv: April 26 (start time to be confirmed) near the former Bulgarian National Bank building (51 Raiko Daskalov St.).
- Tokyo: April 26 at 4:00 PM at Shinjuku Station (south exit).
- Helsinki: April 28 at 5:00 PM at Mannerheiminaukio Square.
- Rallies will also take place in London, Copenhagen, Brussels, Rome, and Vilnius. The time and location will be announced later, following approval by local authorities.
The venues will feature an installation of silhouettes of people and animals — symbols of all living things that have suffered from nuclear disasters in the past and are under threat today. Representatives of the organizations will deliver speeches and call for the immediate imposition of sanctions against Rosatom.
Join us! Nuclear terror is not just Ukraine’s problem; it is a global threat. We urge you to join the planned actions in the cities listed and to organize protests in your own cities, wherever you may be.
Let’s save all life. Let’s stop nuclear terror together.
To mark the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, UAnimals and the International Center for Ukrainian Victory (ICUV), in partnership with the Communities Army of Ukraine, the Ukrainian World Congress and local partner organizations: Ukrainalaisten Yhdistys Suomessa (Helsinki), Nordic Ukraine Forum (Stockholm), Euromaidan Warszawa (Warsaw), the Ukrainian Community in Norway (Oslo), Union des Ukrainiens de France, Kalyna, Pour l’Ukraine (Paris), Ukrainian Association of Östergötland (Linköping), Ukrainian Community Center in Plovdiv, and an initiative group in Vilnius are holding protests against nuclear terror. Join us around the world.
Photo: Ukrainian People Magazine
