Residents of Slavutych gathered in the early hours of Sunday to mark the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, lighting candles in a quiet midnight vigil despite the ongoing war with Russia.

People slowly filled the city’s central square, placing candles around a large radiation hazard symbol on the ground to remember those who died in the 1986 disaster and the thousands who risked their lives to contain its aftermath.

The annual vigil continues even as authorities warn against large gatherings during wartime and curfews remain in place.

The April 26, 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant exposed major safety failures and secrecy in the then Soviet Union. Authorities delayed announcing the disaster for two days, only after radioactive fallout had spread across Europe and raised alarms abroad.

Around 600,000 people, known as “liquidators,” were involved in firefighting and cleanup efforts. Dozens died within months from the explosion and radiation sickness, while millions were exposed to harmful radiation. The disaster also forced the long-term evacuation of hundreds of towns and villages across Ukraine and Belarus.

Slavutych, located about 50 kilometers from the plant, was built after the disaster to house Chernobyl workers and their families. The city has since faced new hardships, including a brief Russian occupation early in the war and severe winters, with recent power outages forcing some residents to cook outdoors.

At the vigil, people of all ages arrived, many bringing flowers like tulips and daffodils. They gathered near a memorial surrounded by Soviet-era apartment blocks and posters honoring locals killed in the ongoing war.

Liudmyla Liubyva, 71, attended the ceremony with a friend. She said she used to come with her husband, a former Chernobyl worker who later became disabled due to radiation exposure.

She said remembering those who sacrificed their health remains important, but added that the war has brought back fears of nuclear danger.

"When the drone struck the arch, it felt like the world could return to 1986," she said, referring to a Russian drone strike in 2025 that damaged the New Safe Confinement structure built over the destroyed reactor. "We all — young and old alike — must protect our land, because it is so vulnerable."

The ceremony included soft music and poetry about the disaster played over loudspeakers. Some participants wore white protective suits and face masks, symbolising the liquidators, and stood silently holding candles.

Larysa Panova, 67, said she still remembers the day she was forced to leave her hometown of Chernobyl and start a new life in Slavutych. Though she has lived there for years, she said memories of her childhood home remain strong.

Before the war, she often visited the area, but access has since been restricted.

"I never stop thinking of Chernobyl as my homeland," she said. "You remember your school, your childhood, your youth — everything happened there, in Chernobyl."