World Nikolai Antoshkin, Who Helped Halt Chernobyl Disaster, Dies at 78 January 17, 2021January 18, 2021ANDREW E. KRAMERComments Off on Nikolai Antoshkin, Who Helped Halt Chernobyl Disaster, Dies at 78 He survived radiation as commander of the operation that extinguished the Chernobyl nuclear plant fire. He died of the coronavirus.