Russian troops have invaded Ukrainian territory in the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant , Anton Gueraschenko, adviser to the Ministry of the Interior, reported today.

“The National Guard, which is responsible for ensuring the safety of radioactive dumps, is fighting with all its might,” he wrote in a statement.

The official warned that if the deposits with radioactive remains are damaged, “nuclear dust can spread throughout the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and the countries of the European Union.”

The Chernobyl exclusion zone, which is separated from Belarusian territory by the Pripyat River, which gives its name to the city where the Soviet plant workers lived, has been patrolled for weeks by the Ukrainian National Guard.

The territory of Ukraine and Belarus were the most affected by the radioactive cloud caused by the largest nuclear catastrophe in history that occurred on April 26, 1986.

In anticipation of a possible attack, last Friday the Ukrainian authorities suspended tourist trips to the Chernobyl zone, a very popular destination among foreign tourists in recent years.

Ukraine and NATO had denounced that the “Allied Determination-2022” maneuvers between Russia and Belarus held on the territory of the latter country were, in reality, preparations for an invasion.

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The Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army, Valeri Zaluzhni, denounced today that four ballistic missiles had been launched from Belarusian territory.
The Ukrainian Border Service this morning denounced attacks with heavy weapons from Belarusian territory, which was vehemently denied by the president of that country, Alexandr Lukashenko.

“Rogues! Our troops have no part in this operation,” he said.

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“The Russian occupation forces are trying to gain control of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant,” Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said on Twitter.

“Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 does not repeat itself,” he added. He called what is happening “a declaration of war against all of Europe.”

The most serious nuclear accident in history

On April 26, 1986, what is considered the most serious nuclear accident in history was recorded at this plant, during a test in which a power outage was simulated. The sudden increase in power of the number four reactor produced an overheating that ended in a hydrogen explosion.

Some 600,000 people received radiation doses during the decontamination work. According to the World Health Organization, some 4,000 people would have lost their lives due to radiation emitted from Chernobyl in the first 10 years after the explosion. One of the main diseases recorded by those affected was cancer.

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Finally, the reactor was isolated with a concrete sarcophagus that was placed to prevent further radiation leakage. Populations in nearby areas were evacuated.

In November 2016, a new sarcophagus was inaugurated, an arch 110 meters long, weighing more than 30,000 tons, at a cost of 1.5 billion euros. It is expected to have a life of more than 100 years. It is equipped with remote-controlled cranes because the objective is to dismantle the original sarcophagus and be able to extract the radioactive material.