Defense Ministry decorates participants in Chernobyl cleanup

Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta awarded medals “Participant in the Chernobyl accident cleanup – 25 years” to over 40 persons. During the event, writer Isidor Doctoreanu launched his fourth manuscript “Chernobyl... history of the century”, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The commemoration of the victims of the Chernobyl accident is a tribute to all those who took part in the cleanup efforts. You have our respect and admiration for the courage you showed,” said the minister. More than 200 military units and a contingent of 340,000 officers and soldiers of the former USSR were mobilized to deal with the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. About 3,500 of them were from Moldova,” said the head of the Moldovan organization “Chernobyl” Tudor Capatana. “When we returned from Chernobyl, they sent us to the hospital. We received treatment there for three weeks. We were then transferred to the Institute of Medicine in Chisinau. There were persons who did not obey the rules laid down by the doctors and they suffered the consequences,” said Grigore Tudor, a participant in the Chernobyl cleanup. Writer Isidor Doctoreanu said that those who will read his book “Chernobyl... history of the century” will applaud those who took part in the cleanup efforts. According to the Ministry of Defense, 10% of the about 3,500 Moldovans involved in the Chernobyl cleanup died, while 65% are invalids. The nuclear accident happened on April 26, 1986 and affected over 7 million people.