Radiation levels at Chernobyl the nuclear power plant has risen after Russian troops seized the area yesterday, UkraineRussia’s nuclear agency warned on Friday.
Russian forces took control of the failed plant in a “fierce” battle on Thursday, with the state of its nuclear storage facilities said to be “unknown” at the time.
Their takeover of the plant has raised fears of radiation leaks, which could cause a nuclear fallout in Europe, last seen when the reactor exploded in 1986.
Russian authorities have denied higher levels of radiation.
Radiation levels at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant have risen after Russian troops seized the area yesterday (pictured), Ukraine’s nuclear agency warned on Friday.
Pictured: Russian armored vehicles park on roads near Chernobyl plant, amid fears that damage to the facility could lead to a radiation leak that will cover Europe with precipitation
The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine said on Friday that higher levels of gamma radiation were found in the Chernobyl zone, but did not provide details of the increase.
He attributed the increase to “disturbance of the topsoil due to the movement of large quantities of heavy military equipment through the exclusion zone and the release of contaminated radioactive dust into the air”.
Ukrainian authorities say Russia has taken over the plant and the surrounding area after a fierce battle on Thursday.
A spokesman for Russia’s Defense Ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said Russian airborne troops were protecting the plant to prevent any possible “provocations”.
He insisted that radiation levels in the area remained normal.
The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said it had been notified by Ukraine of the takeover, adding that there were no “casualties or destruction on the industrial site”.
Radiation levels at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (pictured, photo file) have risen after Russian troops seized the area yesterday, Ukraine’s nuclear agency warned on Friday.
Pictured: A map showing where Russian forces struck during their invasion. Chernobyl is located in the northern part of the country, near the border with Belarus and Russia
The 1986 disaster occurred when a nuclear reactor at a plant 80 miles north of Kiev exploded, sending a radioactive cloud across Europe.
The disaster happened while Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, with Soviet officials initially downplaying the disaster, slowing the response.
The damaged reactor was later covered with a protective sheath to prevent leaks. The construction of the new safe confinement at Chernobyl was completed in 2018.
A video Thursday revealed Russian tanks and armored vehicles standing in front of the destroyed reactor.
A spokesman said Thursday that the Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and was initially reported to increase radiation levels.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was monitoring the situation in Ukraine “With serious concern” and called for maximum restraint to avoid any action that could jeopardize Ukraine’s nuclear facilities.
Adviser to Ukrainian President Mykhailo Podoliak said: “After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it cannot be said that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe.”
Meanwhile, presidential advisers said President Vladimir Zelensky was still in the capital, Kiev.
In this file photo taken on February 4, 2022. Soldiers participate in joint tactical and special exercises of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Guard of Ukraine and the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the ghost town of Pripyat, near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
“The main scenario of the Russian special operation is clear. The only goal is to take Kiev and kill the Ukrainian authorities, personally President Zelensky, “said Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak.
Russia pushed its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital on Friday after launching air strikes on cities and military bases.
Troops and tanks are moving on three sides in an attack that could rewrite the post-Cold War global security order.
Explosions erupted before dawn in Kiev, and later gunfire was heard near the government district as Western leaders scheduled an emergency meeting.
Ukraine’s president has called for international aid to repel an attack that could topple his democratically elected government, inflict huge casualties and damage the world economy.
Amid signs that the Ukrainian capital is increasingly threatened, the military said on Friday that a group of Russian spies and saboteurs had been spotted in a Kiev neighborhood about 3 miles north of the city center.
Earlier, the military said Russian forces had seized two Ukrainian military vehicles and some uniforms and were heading to the city to try to infiltrate under the guise of being locals.