Three Ukrainian medals for Participation in Elimination of Consequences at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. 2 medals Post-Soviet period, 1 medal Soviet period 1986 The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986 (also known as the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant , Chernobyl accident , Chernobyl disaster , Chernobyl ; Ukrainian Chornobyl disaster ) - the destruction of the reactor of the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant , located near the city of Pripyat ( Ukrainian SSR , now Ukraine ). The destruction was explosive, the reactor core was completely destroyed, and a large amount of radioactive substances was released into the environment . The accident is regarded as the largest of its kind in the entire history of nuclear energy , both in terms of the estimated number of people killed and affected by its consequences, and in terms of economic damage. During the first three months after the accident, 31 people died, and another 19 deaths from 1987 to 2004 can presumably be attributed to its direct consequences. 134 people from among the liquidators suffered acute radiation sickness of varying severity. High doses of radiation to people, mainly emergency workers and liquidators, have caused or may cause four thousand additional deaths from long-term effects of radiation . Nevertheless, these figures are significantly less than the number of victims attributed to the Chernobyl disaster by public opinion . Unlike the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki , the explosion resembled a very powerful “ dirty bomb ” - the main damaging factor was radioactive contamination . The cloud generated by the burning reactor carried various radioactive materials, primarily iodine and cesium radionuclides , across much of Europe. The greatest fallout was observed in territories belonging to Belarus , Russia and Ukraine . The entire population was evacuated from the 30-kilometer exclusion zone around the nuclear power plant - more than 115 thousand people . Significant resources were mobilized to eliminate the consequences; more than 500 thousand people participated in eliminating the consequences of the accident . The Chernobyl accident became an event of great socio-political significance for the USSR. All this left a certain imprint on the course of the investigation into its causes . Experts do not have a consensus on the exact causes of the accident; the versions of different nuclear specialists are similar in general terms and differ in the specific mechanisms of the occurrence and development of the emergency situation Careful Packing and Shipping from JMEDALS -Lithuania I'm do not Combine Shipping Good luck!