On December 17, 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine released massive amounts of radioactive material into the environment. The disaster resulted in the deaths of at least 30 immediate victims and caused long-term health problems for thousands more due to radiation exposure. The Soviet government initially downplayed the severity of the situation, but the international community soon became aware of the scale of the catastrophe. The Chernobyl disaster remains one of the worst nuclear accidents in history and has had lasting effects on nuclear energy policy worldwide. The affected area around the plant is still uninhabitable.