Both spellings are correct—they’re just in different languages. Chernóbil (Spanish) is also correct, but you probably wouldn’t point it out because it’s not Russian.
Chernobyl is just another popular spelling that people have gotten accustomed to.
But no one outside the Russian Mir ever refers to Alaska as Aljáska.
There's no signficance or import to the chosen spelling. This whole flame war is completely pointless.
Exactly. And “Chernóbil” isn’t - that’s my point. So the argument about “Chernóbil” is as pointless as “Aljiáska”.