CHERNOBYL DISASTER April 26, 1986 - Nuclear accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the town of Pripyat, in Ukraine. The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the town of Pripyat, in Ukraine, which was then under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities of the Soviet Union. An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere, which spread over much of the western USSR and Europe. Click on the following links to see further details: PROFILE     CROSSWORD     QUIZ     VIDEOS