I. Gladush, Minister of the Interior, to the Central Committee of the Ukrainian Communist Party

[Ukrainian SSR Ministry of Internal Affairs letterhead in Ukrainian and Russian]

27 April 1986  Nº 287s/Gd

Secret

Copy Nº 1

TO THE CC OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF UKRAINE

At 0125 26 April an explosion occurred during preparations for planned repair work of power unit Nº4 of the Chernobyl' Atomic Power Station in the city of Pripyat', Kiev Oblast', from which the roof and the walls of the upper part of the reactor building collapsed, and also part of the cover of the machine room. A fire broke out in the accident zone which was put out by subunits of the fire protection service by 0800.

About 200 service personnel were at the station at the moment of the accident. Nine of them received burns of various degrees, one person died in a hospital, and three are in serious condition. A total of 108 people have been delivered to the hospital for observation, including 20 personnel of the fire service. Twenty-six of them were sent to Moscow by special aircraft on the night of 26-27 April. In connection with the accident the operation of the AEhS was halted on 27 April .

The men and equipment of the MVD, KGB, civil defense, and the Soviet Army have been enlisted to eliminate the consequences of the accident and to ensure the protection of public order. At the present time about 2,900 officials of the staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs [Translator's comment: presumably the UkSSR Ministry as the Minister is the author of this message] and the USSR MVD educational institutions stationed in Kiev, the organs of internal affairs of Kiev Oblast', and servicemen of the Internal Troops have been used in the region of the incident. Another 500 MVD workers are in reserve. About 2,000 personnel of a reconnaissance platoon, a chemical company, a medical subunit, and non-paramilitary formations of UkSSR civil defense are also taking part in the elimination of the consequences of the accident. The personnel have been supplied with individual means of protection. Six military helicopters are being used. Chemical substances and other means of decontamination of the locality are being delivered to the site.

mb439

[Ukrainian CP stamp:

General Department, 2nd Sector

Incoming Nº 4221/17 on 2 sheets

27 April 1986

Subject to return]

One thousand three hundred and ninety buses from Kiev and Kiev Oblast' have been concentrated on site in case of the evacuation of the residents of the city of Pripyat' (51,000 people). In addition, a reserve of 195 buses has been created. Three trains and two river boats are being readied.

A State Commission headed by B. YE. SHCHERBINA, a Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers, is working on site. The evacuation commission of the Kiev Oblast' Executive Committee is dealing with the questions of the possible evacuation of the population of the city.

The proper public order is being ensured in the city of Pripyat' and the adjoining population centers, and the movement of transportation is being monitored.

The coordination of the activities of the MVD with the organs of the KGB, civil defense subunits, and local Party and soviet organizations is being done at the site of the incident by an operations group, and in the UkSSR MVD by an operations staff which is headed by deputy ministers.

Minister [signature] I. Gladush