‘Excess radiation levels rise’ at Chornobyl nuclear power plant recorded following capture by Russian forces

“Excess radiation levels” have risen at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the State Ukraine’s Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation said.

The area still remains radioactive and Chernobyl  was the worst nuclear disaster in history where in 1986 there was a catastrophic failure at the power plant and is 60 miles from Kyiv.

Mykhailo Podolyak gave a chilling warning that ther capture of the nuclear plant poses “one of the most serious threats in Europe today.”

He added, “It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians.”

Concerns over radiation at Chernobyl, hopefully @Maxar or @Planet can get an image that could show damage in the area. https://t.co/NlmaL8NLqh

— Bellingcat (@bellingcat) February 25, 2022

Russian security source said Russia wanted to control the Chernobyl reactor to warn NATO not to interfere with their militarily operations, Reuters news agency reported.

Ukraine’s nuclear agency said, “Exceeding the control levels of gamma radiation dose in the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) are associated with a violation of the top layer of soil due to a large amount of heavy military equipment, the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation said on Friday morning.

“Exceeding the control levels of the dose rate of gamma radiation in the exclusion zone was recorded.

“Such fluctuations in the indicators of the sensors of the Automated Radiation Monitoring System are associated by specialists of the Ecocenter laboratory with a violation of the upper soil layer due to the movement of a large amount of heavy military equipment through the exclusion zone and the rise of contaminated radioactive dust into the air,” the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation said on Facebook.

According to the report, the state of nuclear installations and other facilities of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant is unchanged.

Earlier, the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation, declaring the “excess of radiation in the exclusion zone, indicated that due to the occupation of the zone and hostilities, it was impossible to establish the causes of changes in the radiation background indicators in the Chornobyl zone.”

According to CEOBS, “Decommissioning of the [Chernobyl] site and the packaging of waste is ongoing and will continue for decades.

“The site is under constant management and monitoring and the disruption caused by a conflict would impact the ongoing work to reduce the risks it poses.

“It seems likely that foreign companies would withdraw staff in the event of an invasion, impacting activities at the site.”