This year marked the 21st anniversary of Ukraine's Chernobyl disaster. On 26 April 1986, there was a massive, radioactive explosion at the Chernobyl plant, killing 56 people immediately and exposing at least 9000 more to such high degrees of radioactive material that most of them have already died, or may die in the future, of various forms of cancer. Some scientists believe that the Chernobyl disaster will eventually claim up to 100,000 lives, due to higher cancer rates and other health problems among people who live in effected areas.

The 21st anniversary of the disaster was observed by a minute of silence and a prayer. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko placed a wreath at the Chernobyl memorial in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, although he did not give a major speech on this occasion.

The Chernobyl disaster was also remembered in the neighbouring countries that were also effected by the explosion and the radioactive cloud, including Belarus and Russia. Both of these countries observed a minute of silence.