From Our Own Correspondent Ukrainians fear another Chernobyl
Jan 24, 2026
Wyre Davies, reporting from Ukraine, shares on-the-ground nuclear safety fears and blackout hardships. Steve Rosenberg, BBC Russia editor in Moscow, decodes Kremlin media reactions to Western moves. Carolyn Lamberley, feature reporter, recounts her personal experience with France’s egg-freezing law. Sami Awami, Kampala correspondent, explores youth voting under Museveni. Tim Hartley, football reporter, examines Morocco’s AFCON spending and youth protests.
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Energy Grid Strain Raises Nuclear Risk
- Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy grid force heavy reliance on nuclear power, raising systemic risk across the country.
- Wyre Davies and Pavlo Kovtunyuk warn that damage to safety infrastructure could produce contamination worse than Chernobyl.
Kiev's Cold Drives People To Emergency Shelters
- In Kiev, freezing temperatures and repeated blackouts drive people to emergency 'invincibility' centres for warmth, food and charging phones.
- Eleven-year-old Stas says drones and explosions have made war the only memory he knows, showing the conflict's deep impact on children.
Militarisation Of Nuclear Site Complicates Safety
- Zaporizhia remains occupied by Russian forces and is reported to host military hardware and missile launches from its site.
- That militarisation complicates inspections and raises international concern over plant safety.
