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Chernobyl Roulette: A War Story
A harrowing account of Russia’s occupation of the Chernobyl and Zaporizhia nuclear power plants, and the dangers of nuclear power colliding with warfare.
On February 24, 2022, the first day of Russia’s all-out attack on Ukraine, armored vehicles approached the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine. Russian occupation of the plant, which would last thirty-five days, had begun. Only the dedication and resolve of Ukrainian personnel, who were held hostage and worked shifts for weeks instead of days, spared the world a new Chernobyl accident. Meanwhile, a much more dangerous situation developed at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the largest such facility in Europe. Following an attack there in March 2022, the Russian military remains in control, and Ukrainian intelligence warns of the potential for nuclear terrorism.
In a book that reads like a thriller, Serhii Plokhy joins the stories of the Russo-Ukrainian War and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster to sound the alarm about the dangers of nuclear sites in a time of war.
On February 24, 2022, the first day of Russia’s all-out attack on Ukraine, armored vehicles approached the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine. Russian occupation of the plant, which would last thirty-five days, had begun. Only the dedication and resolve of Ukrainian personnel, who were held hostage and worked shifts for weeks instead of days, spared the world a new Chernobyl accident. Meanwhile, a much more dangerous situation developed at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the largest such facility in Europe. Following an attack there in March 2022, the Russian military remains in control, and Ukrainian intelligence warns of the potential for nuclear terrorism.
In a book that reads like a thriller, Serhii Plokhy joins the stories of the Russo-Ukrainian War and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster to sound the alarm about the dangers of nuclear sites in a time of war.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2024
57 people are currently reading
2982 people want to read
About the author
Serhii Plokhy
47 books943 followersSerhii Plokhy is a Ukrainian and American historian. Plokhy is currently the Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History and Director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University, where he was also named Walter Channing Cabot Fellow in 2013. A leading authority on Eastern Europe, he has lived and taught in Ukraine, Canada, and the United States. He has published extensively in English, Ukrainian, and Russian. For three successive years (2002-2005) his books won first prize of the American Association for Ukrainian Studies.
For his Ukrainian-language profile, please see: Сергій Плохій
For his Ukrainian-language profile, please see: Сергій Плохій
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
January 22, 2025
Chernobyl Roulette is an interesting account of the Russian takeover of the nuclear power plant in 2022. It follows the accounts of people directly involved and highlights some fascinating, if not concerning, moments of the war. The book itself reads well, and it is clear that Serhii Plokhy writes with passion and conviction—a trait that is not often found in many historical accounts.
At times, I did however find Plokhy to be too emotive in his use of language which did change the dynamic of the book to be more of a cathartic piece rather than an historical account, which I wasn’t anticipating. This did however provide a refreshing read on such events.
Overall, the poignant moment was Plokhy’s stance and change in view regarding the use of nuclear energy around the world—a differing opinion from his last book on Chernobyl. If nuclear energy is to be the future and prevent further climate change, then the world needs to seriously take into account the implications of not protecting nuclear sites during wartime and have in place laws and regulations to safeguard such sites in order to prevent another Chernobyl disaster.
At times, I did however find Plokhy to be too emotive in his use of language which did change the dynamic of the book to be more of a cathartic piece rather than an historical account, which I wasn’t anticipating. This did however provide a refreshing read on such events.
Overall, the poignant moment was Plokhy’s stance and change in view regarding the use of nuclear energy around the world—a differing opinion from his last book on Chernobyl. If nuclear energy is to be the future and prevent further climate change, then the world needs to seriously take into account the implications of not protecting nuclear sites during wartime and have in place laws and regulations to safeguard such sites in order to prevent another Chernobyl disaster.
August 29, 2024
That's a next HBO series for you. Brilliant as always
April 21, 2025
I have enjoyed everything I've read from Serhii Plokhy, but this one is my favourite so far. CHERNOBYL ROULETTE tells the story of the Russian occupation of the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant and exclusion zone from late February to late March 2022, in one of the most subtly dramatic and fascinating stories I've ever heard come out of a war zone.
The book remains pretty closely focused on the story of the occupation, but it also keeps a finger on related strands: the limp and ineffective response of the global community specifically and the International Atomic Energy Agency at large; the dramatic seizure and occupation of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest, located in Enerhodar in southern Ukraine, which still remains under Russian occupation to date; and the experience of local communities in the towns of Chornobyl and particularly Slavutych, the company town which replaced Pripyat as home base for the workers at the Chernobyl station.
The book is full of incredible stories, like the Slavutych priest of the Moscow Patriarchate whose response to hearing Russian soldiers opening fire on the peaceful protestors was to grab a large wooden cross, rush out of his church in full regalia, and yell at the occupiers to repent. But the main reason I loved this book was the off-kilter and fascinating power dynamics between occupiers and occupied at the station itself. In 1187 when Saladin, sultan of Egypt and Syria, had the city of Jerusalem in a hopeless siege, the leader of the defence Balian of Ibelin threatened Saladin with destroying all the holy sites within the city if he did not agree to let the population ransom themselves - a historical moment so dramatic that numpty Ridley Scott appropriated it for a wildly unhistorical movie. The story of the occupation of Chernobyl constantly reminded me of this moment; except that instead of a holy site, the leaders at Chernobyl found themselves defending a nuclear disaster zone. How far were they willing to go to protect the people and the country they loved? What power could they possibly wield against an overwhelming enemy? How could they turn the enemy's own weapon of nuclear blackmail against them?
The Chernobyl staff - whose 12-hour shift on 24 February turned into a month-long ordeal as they remained at work at Russian gunpoint - found themselves not only torn by complex ethical dilemmas and conflicting loyalties (to global nuclear safety, or to Ukraine? to family, or to state?) but also in the unenviable position of having to develop on the fly precedents for a response to aggression against a nuclear facility. In his epilogue, Plokhy emphasises that international law has long distinguished between "atoms for war" and "atoms for peace", under the presumption that the latter cannot become the former - yet in Ukraine, at the Chernobyl and Zaporizhia nuclear power plants, that's exactly what has happened, with Russian invaders using the grounds of both plants to shelter their men and artillery from counterattack. In both cases the Russians arrived with the implicit threat to bombard the plants, causing nuclear accidents, if the defenders did not surrender. There are no international legal safeguards or mechanisms to prevent such a thing happening again.
Plokhy explodes the rumour, born of wishful thinking and a desire for poetic justice, that the Russians who dug trenches in the highly contaminated Red Forest at Chernobyl went home with acute radiation sickness (although he reassure us that sometimes radiation sickness doesn't develop until years later). But the big case he makes in this book, apart from a passionate indictment of Russia's war against the Ukrainian people, is that the world has so far been lucky to escape any major accidents at nuclear power plants as a result of war, and we cannot rely on this in the future. Whatever your stance on nuclear power, it's vital that the international community makes the use of force against nuclear power plants as unthinkable as the use of actual nuclear weapons. When the war is over and Ukraine is, DV, at peace, there will be thousands of war crimes to prosecute. Russia's reckless and wilful endangering of nuclear sites should be made a priority.
The book remains pretty closely focused on the story of the occupation, but it also keeps a finger on related strands: the limp and ineffective response of the global community specifically and the International Atomic Energy Agency at large; the dramatic seizure and occupation of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest, located in Enerhodar in southern Ukraine, which still remains under Russian occupation to date; and the experience of local communities in the towns of Chornobyl and particularly Slavutych, the company town which replaced Pripyat as home base for the workers at the Chernobyl station.
The book is full of incredible stories, like the Slavutych priest of the Moscow Patriarchate whose response to hearing Russian soldiers opening fire on the peaceful protestors was to grab a large wooden cross, rush out of his church in full regalia, and yell at the occupiers to repent. But the main reason I loved this book was the off-kilter and fascinating power dynamics between occupiers and occupied at the station itself. In 1187 when Saladin, sultan of Egypt and Syria, had the city of Jerusalem in a hopeless siege, the leader of the defence Balian of Ibelin threatened Saladin with destroying all the holy sites within the city if he did not agree to let the population ransom themselves - a historical moment so dramatic that numpty Ridley Scott appropriated it for a wildly unhistorical movie. The story of the occupation of Chernobyl constantly reminded me of this moment; except that instead of a holy site, the leaders at Chernobyl found themselves defending a nuclear disaster zone. How far were they willing to go to protect the people and the country they loved? What power could they possibly wield against an overwhelming enemy? How could they turn the enemy's own weapon of nuclear blackmail against them?
The Chernobyl staff - whose 12-hour shift on 24 February turned into a month-long ordeal as they remained at work at Russian gunpoint - found themselves not only torn by complex ethical dilemmas and conflicting loyalties (to global nuclear safety, or to Ukraine? to family, or to state?) but also in the unenviable position of having to develop on the fly precedents for a response to aggression against a nuclear facility. In his epilogue, Plokhy emphasises that international law has long distinguished between "atoms for war" and "atoms for peace", under the presumption that the latter cannot become the former - yet in Ukraine, at the Chernobyl and Zaporizhia nuclear power plants, that's exactly what has happened, with Russian invaders using the grounds of both plants to shelter their men and artillery from counterattack. In both cases the Russians arrived with the implicit threat to bombard the plants, causing nuclear accidents, if the defenders did not surrender. There are no international legal safeguards or mechanisms to prevent such a thing happening again.
Plokhy explodes the rumour, born of wishful thinking and a desire for poetic justice, that the Russians who dug trenches in the highly contaminated Red Forest at Chernobyl went home with acute radiation sickness (although he reassure us that sometimes radiation sickness doesn't develop until years later). But the big case he makes in this book, apart from a passionate indictment of Russia's war against the Ukrainian people, is that the world has so far been lucky to escape any major accidents at nuclear power plants as a result of war, and we cannot rely on this in the future. Whatever your stance on nuclear power, it's vital that the international community makes the use of force against nuclear power plants as unthinkable as the use of actual nuclear weapons. When the war is over and Ukraine is, DV, at peace, there will be thousands of war crimes to prosecute. Russia's reckless and wilful endangering of nuclear sites should be made a priority.
September 7, 2024
This was a fabulous and fascinating, while also a bit frightening, read!
May 12, 2025
Не знаю чесно, що писати, книга розповідає про те як окупанти вторглися на чужу землю, вважаючи, що вони там королі, але вони захопили ЧАЕС, тому королями були не вони, а оператори під керуванням Валентина Гейка, через те, що вони були операторами, вони могли залякувати росіян тим, що якщо щось не те, вони підірвуть ЧАЕС і всі вони помруть, книжка в основному про те, що відбувалося під час окупації на електростанції, в Славутичі та Прип'яті, також пару абзаців виділено ЗАЕС, яка досі знаходиться під контролем росіян.
January 6, 2025
Chernobyl Roulette by Serhii Plokhy. I sat in my office on February 24, 2022 horrified, refreshing news sites on both the big screen (computer) and small screen (phone), scouring for updates - Russia had invaded Ukraine. It wasn’t a surprise - the writing had been on the wall for weeks and weeks. Russian forces amassed on Ukraine’s borders, an obvious invasion force the totalitarian regime in Moscow denied. And yet, it still shocked. Images of collapsed buildings, miles of armored vehicles snaking down highways, and Ukrainians receiving weapons to defend their homes, filled my screens. The Russian military raced toward Kyiv through the forested Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the sparsely inhabited, radioactive forest surrounding the site of one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters, capturing the Chernobyl nuclear power plant along the way. Chernobyl Roulette is the story of the Ukrainian plant operators-turned-hostages, bound by duty and patriotism to maintain operations at the infamous site, as they worked for months on end without relief. Workers slept in their offices as Russian soldiers threatened, looted, and dug trenches in the forest’s radioactive soil. Plokhy writes a story of hostages navigating extreme circumstances : not just those who worked at the plant, but also the Russian soldiers, impoverished and propagandized by their authoritarian state, pushed into circumstances they were ill-prepared to handle. Plokhy does a great job critiquing the international nuclear regulatory agencies who couldn’t and wouldn’t speak against the Russian occupation of the plant, as well as thoroughly discrediting the Russian disinformation through extensive reporting. We owe it to the brave people of Ukraine to hear their story. This is a good place to start. Slava Ukraini! Recommended.
November 22, 2025
The book about Ukraine and how russians took over the Chornobyl plant in February 2022. I loved that Plokhyi talked with the workers who worked in the plant during the invasion. There were a lot of dialogs between the russians soldiers and workers and what and how those russians did and acted.
There were not a lot of new for me, as I was following the Chornobyl story since the first day of russian invasion, though it was great to listen about it in one book with all timelines, especially including the statements of witnesses.
-1 star for Kiev and Chernobol. Just enough with it please.
There were not a lot of new for me, as I was following the Chornobyl story since the first day of russian invasion, though it was great to listen about it in one book with all timelines, especially including the statements of witnesses.
-1 star for Kiev and Chernobol. Just enough with it please.
June 12, 2025
The book details the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and focuses on the activity at the Chernobyl Power plant. The author covers some technical details of the early days of the invasion but focuses largely on the people who were affected both at the Chernobyl Power plant and in the city of Slavutuch.
December 13, 2025
this was very interesting. But also very detailed and quite complex. You get to read a lot of dialogue and personal interactions and that makes it a bit tedious to read at times. But the overall account of the events at Chernobyl/Chornobyl is worth a read as it's one of those parts of the war I had heard about on the news but didn't know much more about. It's a beautiful story of resilience on the part of the Ukrainian people.
October 28, 2024
Interesting account of what went down at Chernobyl at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and how it could have lead to another nuclear catastrophe. Ittleading me into reading more about the war. Bought this book in Vienna.
May 25, 2025
as I read „the Showman“ and various articles before this book i‘d already heard of the incident which made the book even more interesting due to the different perspectives, important read in regards to nuclear warfare
June 22, 2025
Reading about such recent history as 'history' was a very odd experience. A fascinating insight into the actions of both Russian invaders and Ukranian defenders during the occupation of Chernobyl. An equally frightening insight into how easily peaceful nuclear energy can be turned into a threat for mass destruction. I just find this all so interesting, man. The Chernobyl accident is so gripping becuase it will be relevant for not only my lifetime, but for the next few lifetimes. The people in this book - the heroes who defended the plant and Chornobyl and the surrounding areas are insanely brave and strong.
April 28, 2025
I was struck by the heroism of the Chernobyl staff and of the villagers from surrounding areas. Whether they fought back overtly or covertly, they all did a remarkable job of averting disaster.
I was also struck by the incompetence of the Russian invaders, who were wholly unprepared to occupy a nuclear site.
It brings me some solace that many of the war criminals are identified by name. One hopes there will someday be justice.
I was also struck by the incompetence of the Russian invaders, who were wholly unprepared to occupy a nuclear site.
It brings me some solace that many of the war criminals are identified by name. One hopes there will someday be justice.
November 17, 2024
It can only happen in strange modern times that you read a book about a war on the other side of the world while that war is still in progress. It's scary, and it should be read by everyone, as a warning of the danger of nuclear power, and of inaction. Books like this can be turgid, but this one isn't. It's well-written, well-researched, and finely edited.
July 14, 2024
To bad they didn't share the true story of how Chernobyl is a disaster zone and has been since 1986. By the way the actual Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster was because of incompetent personnel.
October 13, 2024
a very interesting read about the brave men & women working at Chernobyl while under Russian occupation, i enjoyed learning more about Chernobyl and the surrounding area
April 6, 2025
Need To Know
Time to learn about the 'special military operation' and why we needed to continue to support Ukraine. Shame on you America.
Time to learn about the 'special military operation' and why we needed to continue to support Ukraine. Shame on you America.
February 25, 2025
An extraordinary account of the Ukrainian managers and engineers who refused to be cowed.
Writing this review on the third anniversary of the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, the period this book covers almost seems like an optimistic time, by comparison to the subsequent battlefield carnage.
On 24th February 2022, Russian troops and formations tasked with seizing the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, crossed the border of Belarus, moving through the 40km wide ‘’Chernobyl Exclusion Zone’, created after nuclear disaster three decades earlier.
At the Chernobyl plant, were some 300 engineers, staff and guards, who worked 12 hour shifts. The seizure of the site by the Russian army meant there could be no replacement shift, meaning the staff worked heroically to keep the reactors safe for 35 days without break.
The author, Harvard History Professor, Serhii Plokhy, explores the roles of named individuals on both sides, with the key player, the indomitable Valentyn Heiko, a 59 year old Ukrainian and shift supervisor on duty.
He was not cowed by Russian officers, some sent to Chernobyl with vague knowledge of the dangers, having experience for security of nuclear sites in Russia, but not skilled to run one, so needed the expertise and cooperation of the Ukrainian engineers to keep it safe.
The educated Russian officers, contrasted with their men, arriving with a rabble of semi-literate thugs, only interested in drinking and looting. Additionally, the officers forced their men to dig and live in trenches in the contaminated soil around Chernobyl. On retreating after the failed assault on Kyiv, the Russians traipsed the radioactive dirt back to Belarus on their vehicle wheels and clothing.
Whilst the official Russian political line was that the occupation of the plant was to keep it safe from imaginary sabotage by Ukrainian nationalists, the Russians also believed their own false narrative, searching dangerous areas on the site, unsuccessfully, for hidden Western nuclear weapons programmes.
Professor Plokhy goes into great detail on the situations of separated families, resistance by Ukrainians, the vital role of telephone land lines, even how the workers at Chernobyl , were seen as Russian collaborators by some Ukrainians, and were interrogated by the Ukrainian Security Service to confirm their actions were in accordance to international law. They were ultimately seen as heroes, not traitors, with President Zelensky making awards.
There may be more from Professor Plokhy, as in February 2025, the Russians fired a missile, striking and exploding on the protective sarcophagus containing the damaged Chernobyl reactor.
Writing this review on the third anniversary of the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, the period this book covers almost seems like an optimistic time, by comparison to the subsequent battlefield carnage.
On 24th February 2022, Russian troops and formations tasked with seizing the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, crossed the border of Belarus, moving through the 40km wide ‘’Chernobyl Exclusion Zone’, created after nuclear disaster three decades earlier.
At the Chernobyl plant, were some 300 engineers, staff and guards, who worked 12 hour shifts. The seizure of the site by the Russian army meant there could be no replacement shift, meaning the staff worked heroically to keep the reactors safe for 35 days without break.
The author, Harvard History Professor, Serhii Plokhy, explores the roles of named individuals on both sides, with the key player, the indomitable Valentyn Heiko, a 59 year old Ukrainian and shift supervisor on duty.
He was not cowed by Russian officers, some sent to Chernobyl with vague knowledge of the dangers, having experience for security of nuclear sites in Russia, but not skilled to run one, so needed the expertise and cooperation of the Ukrainian engineers to keep it safe.
The educated Russian officers, contrasted with their men, arriving with a rabble of semi-literate thugs, only interested in drinking and looting. Additionally, the officers forced their men to dig and live in trenches in the contaminated soil around Chernobyl. On retreating after the failed assault on Kyiv, the Russians traipsed the radioactive dirt back to Belarus on their vehicle wheels and clothing.
Whilst the official Russian political line was that the occupation of the plant was to keep it safe from imaginary sabotage by Ukrainian nationalists, the Russians also believed their own false narrative, searching dangerous areas on the site, unsuccessfully, for hidden Western nuclear weapons programmes.
Professor Plokhy goes into great detail on the situations of separated families, resistance by Ukrainians, the vital role of telephone land lines, even how the workers at Chernobyl , were seen as Russian collaborators by some Ukrainians, and were interrogated by the Ukrainian Security Service to confirm their actions were in accordance to international law. They were ultimately seen as heroes, not traitors, with President Zelensky making awards.
There may be more from Professor Plokhy, as in February 2025, the Russians fired a missile, striking and exploding on the protective sarcophagus containing the damaged Chernobyl reactor.
December 24, 2025
There are multiple layers to this book. As always, Plokhy does a fantastic job of providing deep context; the events aren't listed in a dry, textbook fashion but are presented as part of a much broader historical and geopolitical narrative.
While the book is heavily based on interviews with staff held captive by Russian troops at the Chernobyl power plant, its most urgent message is a reminder of how close we were(and still are) to a nuclear disaster. This risk remains critical today, as the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe, remains under occupation.
Another sobering takeaway is the apparent impotence of the international community and regulators when faced with the military takeover of nuclear facilities and waste storage sites. While many were quick to offer "thoughts and prayers," there seemed to be a collective failure to realize that radiation knows no borders and isn't trained in diplomacy. Should an accident occur, the "comfortable distance" at which the IAEA sits would become irrelevant.
The book also highlights the incredible resilience and heroism shown by the Ukrainian people during the occupation. Honestly, I don't think any book or interview can truly do justice to their sacrifice; one can only fully grasp the impact of war when it becomes a personal story.
Although this book might feel "political" to some third-party readers, I still highly recommend it, as it exposes the catastrophic flaws in global nuclear safety protocols and the terrifying reality of nuclear blackmail used as a tool of modern warfare.
Admittedly, the book may be slightly difficult for non-Ukrainian speakers to follow due to the large number of interviewees and names that may feel confusing to those unfamiliar with the language, but the effort is well worth it for the insight provided.
Слава Україні
While the book is heavily based on interviews with staff held captive by Russian troops at the Chernobyl power plant, its most urgent message is a reminder of how close we were(and still are) to a nuclear disaster. This risk remains critical today, as the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest in Europe, remains under occupation.
Another sobering takeaway is the apparent impotence of the international community and regulators when faced with the military takeover of nuclear facilities and waste storage sites. While many were quick to offer "thoughts and prayers," there seemed to be a collective failure to realize that radiation knows no borders and isn't trained in diplomacy. Should an accident occur, the "comfortable distance" at which the IAEA sits would become irrelevant.
The book also highlights the incredible resilience and heroism shown by the Ukrainian people during the occupation. Honestly, I don't think any book or interview can truly do justice to their sacrifice; one can only fully grasp the impact of war when it becomes a personal story.
Although this book might feel "political" to some third-party readers, I still highly recommend it, as it exposes the catastrophic flaws in global nuclear safety protocols and the terrifying reality of nuclear blackmail used as a tool of modern warfare.
Admittedly, the book may be slightly difficult for non-Ukrainian speakers to follow due to the large number of interviewees and names that may feel confusing to those unfamiliar with the language, but the effort is well worth it for the insight provided.
Слава Україні
November 2, 2025
За цей читацький досвід завдячую, звісно, авторові, історику Сергію Плохію, але передусім проєкту "Шалені автор(К)и" від Віри Агєєвої та Ростислава Семківа, вони зуміли "продати" мені цю книгу. Просто після перегляду подкасту замовила.
Прочитала не одразу, навіть відкладала (не кидала), просто на потім, бо надто виявилася складною психологічно.
Учора дочитала... Той випадок, коли в повному сенсі розривають різні почуття. Думала: "Ну що ще мене може вразити в тому, що поруч абсолютне зло".
Тут склнцентровано всі можливі пороки, за винятком зґвалтування, - ненависть, тотальну безсовісну брехню, убивство, грабунок від чайника до атомної станції, підступ, провокацію, марнославство, пиху, невігластво, лицемірство з удаваною інтелігентністю, маніпуляції, цілковиту відсутність критичного мислення й корупцію свідомості.
Сказати, що я ненавиділа під час читання, - не сказати нічого...🤯
А поруч люди, які постали перед вибором - уберегти світ від ядерної катастрофи, виконуючи обов'язки під прицілом; або загинути, відверто заявивши про свою позицію; або піти на співпрацю, отримавши зарплати, "як у росатомі".
Стійкість оборонців Славутича, мужність енергетиків, ницість ворога. Об'єктивний аналіз автора з покликаннями на силу-силенну джерел і свідчення очевидців... Розвідка для історі; для нас, щоб не забували; для всіх, кому довелося пояснювати, де добро, а де зло; не раз згаданий плюшевий Ґроссі, якому на підсосі рфії важко називати речі своїми іменами; для світу, не готового до сутички з абсолютним злом.
Згорнула книгу з невідступною думкою: скільки ще такого написано й буде написано, скільки не буде, бо свідків не залишилося або вони не в змозі...
Нам треба це знати. Усім. Від цього залежить, який буде світ завтра (якщо буде)
Прочитала не одразу, навіть відкладала (не кидала), просто на потім, бо надто виявилася складною психологічно.
Учора дочитала... Той випадок, коли в повному сенсі розривають різні почуття. Думала: "Ну що ще мене може вразити в тому, що поруч абсолютне зло".
Тут склнцентровано всі можливі пороки, за винятком зґвалтування, - ненависть, тотальну безсовісну брехню, убивство, грабунок від чайника до атомної станції, підступ, провокацію, марнославство, пиху, невігластво, лицемірство з удаваною інтелігентністю, маніпуляції, цілковиту відсутність критичного мислення й корупцію свідомості.
Сказати, що я ненавиділа під час читання, - не сказати нічого...🤯
А поруч люди, які постали перед вибором - уберегти світ від ядерної катастрофи, виконуючи обов'язки під прицілом; або загинути, відверто заявивши про свою позицію; або піти на співпрацю, отримавши зарплати, "як у росатомі".
Стійкість оборонців Славутича, мужність енергетиків, ницість ворога. Об'єктивний аналіз автора з покликаннями на силу-силенну джерел і свідчення очевидців... Розвідка для історі; для нас, щоб не забували; для всіх, кому довелося пояснювати, де добро, а де зло; не раз згаданий плюшевий Ґроссі, якому на підсосі рфії важко називати речі своїми іменами; для світу, не готового до сутички з абсолютним злом.
Згорнула книгу з невідступною думкою: скільки ще такого написано й буде написано, скільки не буде, бо свідків не залишилося або вони не в змозі...
Нам треба це знати. Усім. Від цього залежить, який буде світ завтра (якщо буде)
April 26, 2025
«Питання про те, що вважати вірністю і зрадою за таких обставин, не має чіткої відповіді ані в міжнародній, ані в українській юриспруденції».
Що робити, коли ти стикаєшся з чистим смертельним злом, і ніхто не допоможе? Поставши перед таким питанням, начальник зміни на Чорнобильській АЕС Валентин Гейко прийняв рішення — будучи, по факту, заручником, він сам став загрозою для цього зла. Як вам таке?
У книжці всього 180 сторінок, але ця праця вражає. Кожен абзац підкріплений джерелом інформації, титанічна робота.
Ви дізнаєтесь про те, чого не знали, або не усвідомлювали:
⚡️ рашка використала ЧАЕС, як один з приводів для вторгнення — там нібито готувалися створити ядерну бомбу;
⚡️ЧАЕС і місто-супутник Славутич, де живе більшість персоналу, поєднує залізниця, яка частково проходить територією білорусі, мостом через Дніпро. Тому ротація під час окупації була майже неможлива;
Відгук повністю тут: https://t.me/ukrainian_art_crossroads...
Що робити, коли ти стикаєшся з чистим смертельним злом, і ніхто не допоможе? Поставши перед таким питанням, начальник зміни на Чорнобильській АЕС Валентин Гейко прийняв рішення — будучи, по факту, заручником, він сам став загрозою для цього зла. Як вам таке?
У книжці всього 180 сторінок, але ця праця вражає. Кожен абзац підкріплений джерелом інформації, титанічна робота.
Ви дізнаєтесь про те, чого не знали, або не усвідомлювали:
⚡️ рашка використала ЧАЕС, як один з приводів для вторгнення — там нібито готувалися створити ядерну бомбу;
⚡️ЧАЕС і місто-супутник Славутич, де живе більшість персоналу, поєднує залізниця, яка частково проходить територією білорусі, мостом через Дніпро. Тому ротація під час окупації була майже неможлива;
Відгук повністю тут: https://t.me/ukrainian_art_crossroads...
December 29, 2024
A short but comprehensive and highly readable account, leaning heavily on first-hand testimony from the Ukrainian staff at Chernobyl who found themselves stuck at work for weeks on end, under the Orcs'* occupation of the defunct power station.
Plokhy's book is also an inspiring account of ordinary people standing up to armed oppression in all sorts of creatively stubborn ways - from thousands of people charging at armed soldiers to engineers threatening to blow up the station itself if the bombardment of the nearby town their families live in didn't stop, right down to playing psychological war games with individual, poorly educated Russian soldiers about the dangers of radiation.
*Given the looting and the reckless stupidity of some of the Russian troops (and their commanders), this is an excellent description.
Plokhy's book is also an inspiring account of ordinary people standing up to armed oppression in all sorts of creatively stubborn ways - from thousands of people charging at armed soldiers to engineers threatening to blow up the station itself if the bombardment of the nearby town their families live in didn't stop, right down to playing psychological war games with individual, poorly educated Russian soldiers about the dangers of radiation.
*Given the looting and the reckless stupidity of some of the Russian troops (and their commanders), this is an excellent description.
July 29, 2025
Fascinating look at the heroism of Ukrainians at the Chernobyl nuclear site and the incompetence and ruthlessness of the Russian military. Additionally, I found the sections of the book about the nearby city of Slavutych and their use of nonviolent resistance that worked! It reads almost like a thriller, and it had me pausing several times to look up videos of the events being spoken of and to see if the people lived through the experience. The one downside, there seemed to be occasional issues in translation--either cultural or actual translation--with some sentences describing conversations making little sense to me. This also might have been due to the author using transcripts of interviews rather than actually interviewing the individuals himself. This story has the clear makings of a hollywood movie or mini-series and I look forward to that.
October 22, 2025
Chernobyl Roulette: War in the Nuclear Disaster Zone by Serhii Plokhy is a gripping and sobering examination of the collision between war and nuclear power. Blending historical insight with the urgency of real world events, Plokhy traces how the Russian occupation of Chernobyl and Zaporizhia revealed the catastrophic risks of militarizing nuclear facilities. His ability to turn complex geopolitical and scientific realities into compelling narrative makes this book not only important but essential reading. It’s a chilling, expertly crafted account of courage, recklessness, and the fragility of safety in times of war.
April 2, 2025
This book reopens the story of Chornobyl, reminding us that the danger didn’t end in 1986. In 2022, during Russia’s occupation of the exclusion zone, we came terrifyingly close to a second Chornobyl disaster.
While the original catastrophe was tied to Pripyat, this time the story is connected to Slavutych—the city built for the survivors. The defense and resistance of Slavutych is, in many ways, even more gripping than the efforts to contain the original disaster.
Because when you choose to fight, you risk losing some of your people. But if you don’t fight, you risk losing all of them.
While the original catastrophe was tied to Pripyat, this time the story is connected to Slavutych—the city built for the survivors. The defense and resistance of Slavutych is, in many ways, even more gripping than the efforts to contain the original disaster.
Because when you choose to fight, you risk losing some of your people. But if you don’t fight, you risk losing all of them.
October 24, 2025
A blend of history and current events, as well as a sobering read. While the events in the book were going on, I did not comprehend just how serious it all was (not the war in itself, but this particular story) and just how close we all were to another nuclear disaster. As always with the author, the writing is compelling and the historical events get to feel very human. Overall, a short but impactful book, part of an ongoing story that unfortunately does not seem close to ending.
January 16, 2025
A detailed account of the Russian takeover of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant at the start of the war. The Ukrainian staff working at the station were incredibly dedicated and brave while working under immense stress for weeks on end. The author also provides accounts of how the war unfolded on the surrounding towns near Chernobyl. A fascinating read and highly recommended!
July 11, 2025
A frightening book really. A tale of heroism and sacrifice definitely but also it illustrates the power of social media and the effectiveness of fake news together with the dangers we all face from nuclear terrorism. Can any international rules and agreements about nuclear plants survive the realities of war?
July 23, 2025
An insightful short history about quite a niche part of the '22 invasion. The author takes the time to ease you into what made the Chernobyl occupation in the early days so unique, dangerous, idiotic and unexpected.
I truly recommend this book, it's super short (170~) and every chapter builds upon the previous one.
I truly recommend this book, it's super short (170~) and every chapter builds upon the previous one.
July 30, 2025
Chernobyl Roulette is a great book!
I literally had no idea about the conflict regarding Chernobyl during the Russia Ukraine war, and this was extremely enlightening to read about.
This finished copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to W.W. Norton & Company for my review copy!
I literally had no idea about the conflict regarding Chernobyl during the Russia Ukraine war, and this was extremely enlightening to read about.
This finished copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to W.W. Norton & Company for my review copy!
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