(2012) Chernobyl Introduction The  Chernobyl disaster  (locally Ukrainian: Чорнобильська катастрофа,  Chornobylska Katastrofa  -  Chornobyl Catastrophe ) was a nuclear accident of catastrophic degree that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the  Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant  in  Ukraine  (officially  Ukrainian SSR ), which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow. An explosion and fire released large quantities of