American spies sabotaged the reactor
The Cold War was full of espionage and sabotage. Destroying the reactors would have been a way for the United States to hurt the Soviet Union’s infrastructure and reputation. Therefore, American spies are the obvious suspects.
<
(2 of 4)
Next argument >
The Argument
The history of the U.S.-Soviet Cold War is full of incidents of espionage, sabotage, elaborate intelligence and counter-intelligence schemes, and even proxy wars. In this context, American spies are the obvious suspects in the Chernobyl disaster. The CIA worked actively to infiltrate and undermine Soviet institutions throughout the Cold War, so why not at Chernobyl? The disaster, after all, was a major blow to the Soviet Union's infrastructure, prestige, and international reputation, and presented no risk of harm to the distant United States.