The Story of the Real "Suicide Squad": Chernobyl
Special | 1m 36sVideo has Closed Captions
The incredible true story of how 3 brave men prevented a potentially larger disaster at Chernobyl.
If the molten nuclear fuel beneath Chernobyl's destroyed reactor #4 reached the pool of water in the basement below, this could have caused a massive nuclear steam explosion between 3-5 megatons. Learn about the incredible true story of the three brave men known as "The Suicide Squad" who risked their lives to prevent a potentially much larger disaster at the V.I. Lenin power plant in May, 1986.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
History in a Nutshell is a local public television program presented by SCETV
The Story of the Real "Suicide Squad": Chernobyl
Special | 1m 36sVideo has Closed Captions
If the molten nuclear fuel beneath Chernobyl's destroyed reactor #4 reached the pool of water in the basement below, this could have caused a massive nuclear steam explosion between 3-5 megatons. Learn about the incredible true story of the three brave men known as "The Suicide Squad" who risked their lives to prevent a potentially much larger disaster at the V.I. Lenin power plant in May, 1986.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch History in a Nutshell
History in a Nutshell is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipMere days after the explosion at the Chernobyl power station a grim discovery was made: the molten Uranium fuel was burning through the concrete flooring beneath reactor #4.
About 20 million liters of water had pooled in the basement beneath the reactor from when firefighters put out the fire on the roof in the early morning hours of April 26, 1986.
If that molten fuel reached the water below, the Chernobyl disaster would have gone from bad to worse.
A massive radioactive steam explosion between an estimated 3-5 megatons would have destroyed the entire plant, potentially causing a nuclear fallout which could have affected the entire planet.
Someone needed to go down into the basement beneath the reactor and drain that water using specific valves.
On May 4th, 1986, 3 men: Mechanical Engineer Oleksiy Ananenko, Senior Engineer Valeriy Bespalov, and Shift Supervisor Boris Baranov step forward to do this task.
They were advised that if they did not survive, their families would be taken care of.
Everyone watched as those men donned wetsuits and made the trek into the dark basement below.
Miraculously, the men found the valves, drained the water and emerged to a hearty job well done by fellow comrades.
Those 3 men are remembered today as "The Suicide Squad".
Thankfully, all 3 men lived long, happy lives after that.
Support for PBS provided by:
History in a Nutshell is a local public television program presented by SCETV