Sat Nov 22 08:00:00 UTC 2025: Summary:
Nataliia Khodemchuk, the widow of the first engineer to die in the Chernobyl disaster, was killed in a recent Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv. She suffered severe burns after a drone struck her apartment building, known as “Chernobyl house”, home to many former Chernobyl workers. Zelenskyy condemned her death as another tragedy caused by the Kremlin, highlighting the ongoing suffering inflicted on Ukraine by Russia. Khodemchuk, who lost her husband in the 1986 explosion and was displaced from Pripyat, was preparing for the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster when she was killed. Her death is a stark reminder of the enduring pain and loss experienced by Ukrainians, further intensified by Russia’s relentless attacks.
News Article:
Chernobyl Widow Killed in Russian Drone Strike, Zelenskyy Blames “Kremlin Tragedy”
Kyiv, Ukraine – Nataliia Khodemchuk, the widow of Valerii Khodemchuk, the first engineer to perish in the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, was killed on Friday in a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decried her death as a “new tragedy caused by the Kremlin,” underscoring the enduring impact of both the Chernobyl disaster and Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine.
Khodemchuk’s husband, Valerii, remains entombed in the wreckage of Chernobyl’s reactor number four. Following the disaster, Nataliia and her children were evacuated from Pripyat and relocated to an apartment in Kyiv, ironically nicknamed “Chernobyl house,” home to other survivors. On Friday, a Russian drone struck the building, causing severe burns to Khodemchuk, who later died in hospital.
“We lost a woman who went through Chornobyl hell… Russia proves its true face every time: a terrorist country that recognises neither humanity nor compassion,” said Ukraine’s state agency for exclusion zone management.
The attack, which killed six others, has left many Chernobyl survivors homeless once again. Reports indicate Khodemchuk was scheduled to participate in a photoshoot commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on international allies to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses in the face of intensifying Russian aerial assaults. He stated that Russia launched nearly 1,000 attack drones, approximately 980 guided aerial bombs, and 36 missiles last week alone.
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