We were recently stricken by a disaster, the Chernobyl nuclear power accident. It deeply affected Soviet people and disturbed world opinion.Mikhail Gorbachev
Labelled the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, Chernobyl resulted in the release of radioactive material across much of Europe, affecting over half a million people.
31 people died but thousands more were afflicted in the long term.
The Soviet Union spent close to 18 billion roubles on containment and decontamination efforts, significantly draining state resources.
Lessons from this disaster informed debate across the world about the safety of nuclear power.
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