Keiv, Nov 30 (IANS) Ukraine unveiled a new protective cover over the destroyed Chernobyl nuclear reactor No.4, which would prevent the leakage of the radiation from the unit during the next century, media reports said.
Speaking during the ceremony to unveil the safety confinement to public on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko appreciated the international donors for the assistance, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Through the combined efforts, we can protect the world from the nuclear contamination and the nuclear threat," Poroshenko said.
The arch-shaped 110-metre-tall and 257-metre-wide metal sarcophagus, which was erected over the reactor using the hydraulic system, became the world's largest moveable land-based structure.
The construction of the gigantic confinement, which will replace the old Chernobyl shelter, took about four years and involved some 10,000 workers.
The project to transform the nuclear power plant into an environmentally safe facility, totally costing about $1.6 billion , was funded by 28 countries and several international organisations.
The Chernobyl disaster, one of the worst nuclear accidents in human history, happened on April 26, 1986 when a series of explosions ripped through the plant located 110 kms north of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
The blasts resulted in the demolition of the No.4 reactor and the spread of radiation across Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and other European countries.
