The three men who went into the flooded basement of the Chernobyl reactor were Alexei Ananenko, Valeri Bespalov, and Boris Baranov. They were part of a team tasked with draining the water from the reactor's basement to prevent a steam explosion that could have released even more radioactive material into the environment. Their mission was considered a suicide mission, but all three men survived the ordeal.
The three men were heroes, willingly sacrificing their safety to prevent a potential catastrophe. They were able to close the valves that were leaking water into the basement, preventing a possible steam explosion and further contamination. They were celebrated as heroes, and their actions saved countless lives.
