What were the two "nightmare scenarios” that would have led to enormous damage in the weeks following the explosion? What happened when three heroic men waded into radioactive water to stop much of Europe becoming uninhabitable for centuries? How did army reservists fight to contain the nuclear fallout in a mission named ‘The Battle of Chernobyl’? 

David Olusoga and Sarah Churchwell explore the terrifying consequences that the soviets narrowly avoided in the weeks following the explosion. 

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Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Assistant Producers: Alfie Rowe, Alfie Norris 

Producer: Alice Horrell

Head of History: Dom Johnson

Exec Producer: Tony Pastor

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