The 1986 reactor explosion sent a cloud of radiation over much of Europe and severe health problems persist a quarter-century later. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych says some 2 million people suffer illnesses caused by the radiation.

The exploded reactor is encased in a deteriorating shell and internationally funded work to replace the shell is far behind schedule.

Yanukovych said during commemoration ceremonies Monday that the reactor is a threat “not only for Ukraine, but for Europe, Russia and Belarus.”

The radiation left swaths of Ukraine and Belarus uninhabitable.

Yanukovych laid flowers at a monument to explosion victims in Chernobyl, 실시간 축구 visited a plant on reprocessing a spent nuclear fuel.

Yanukovych pledged to give better care for Chernobyl victims and those who still suffer from the related diseases, calling that an issue of “conscience and honor.”

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov promised better medical treatment, higher pensions, accommodation.

In Kiev, an Orthodox priest prayed near a monument to Chernobyl victims in front of hundreds who gathered to pay tribute to those who died. Some of them complained about inadequate compensation and treatment for those who fell ill after taking part in the cleanup.

“We lost our town, we lost everything. Every time, the authorities promise to rise our pensions, but they always lie,” said Serhiy Krasylnikov, a former plant worker who currently heads a Kiev district union of Chernobyl victims.

A commemoration march was planned for Monday evening in Belarus. In previous years, opposition groups had used unsanctioned commemoration gatherings as a venue for protesting against the authoritarian government. This year, officials have sanctioned the march.