Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Permanently Closed

Under international pressure and a financial assistance agreement, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma signs the order permanently shutting down the last operating reactor (Unit 3) at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on December 15, 2000. The closure is marked by a ceremony attended by international observers. Ukraine had negotiated for years over the closure, seeking compensation for lost electricity generation. The plant transitions to decommissioning status; the exclusion zone remains permanently inhabited only by a small number of 'self-settlers.'