On April 27, 2026, an international event titled “The Chornobyl Shadow 40 Years Later: Securing the Future of Belarus and Ukraine” took place in Prague, marking the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster and addressing current nuclear threats in the region. It brought together diplomats, experts, and representatives of the democratic forces of Belarus to discuss how the Lukashenka regime and Russia use nuclear infrastructure and rhetoric as tools of geopolitical pressure. The program included a panel discussion, an analytical briefing, and a presentation of a draft report on nuclear risks in Belarus.
The event was organized by the Office of Belarus Democratic Forces in the Czech Republic, with the support of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, the Kaściuška Security Studies Institute (KSSI), BelPol, and the Embassy of Lithuania in the Czech Republic.
The discussions focused on threats related to the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant, the militarization of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and the broader erosion of international nuclear safety standards.
Speakers at the panel discussion “The Legacy of Chornobyl 40 Years On: A New Nuclear Threat Landscape” included:
- Olga Kosharna, nuclear power and safety expert (Ukraine);
- Franak Viacorka, Chief Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya;
- Siarhei Navumchyk, former MP and member of the Chornobyl Investigation Commission;
- Gabriela Svarovská, Member of the Czech Chamber of Deputies;
- Kateřina Vršanská, guide of the Chornobyl exclusion zone.
The discussion was moderated by Maciej Ruczaj.
During the investigative briefing, experts presented new data on systemic safety violations and the transformation of Belarus into a zone of heightened nuclear risk. Among the speakers were:
- Vadzim Mažejka, head of the Kaściuška Security Studies Institute;
- Alina Kharysava, political scientist;
- Uladzimir Zhyhar, representative of BelPol.
Kryścina Šyjanok, Director of the Office of Belarus Democratic Forces in the Czech Republic: “Today, forty years after Chornobyl, we are not only looking to the past — we see a call to action. Every day, through diplomacy and resistance, we work to build a free and independent Belarus that will never again become a source of nuclear or military threat to Europe”.
