New fires have broken out in the Chernobyl exclusion zone following the downing of Russian drones
New fires have broken out in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone following a Russian drone attack. The fires were detected in hard-to-reach areas within the nature reserve. This was reported by the State Agency of Ukraine for the Management of the Exclusion Zone.
Rescue workers, reserve staff, and specialized contractors continue to fight the fires. Despite the fires, radiation levels in the zone remain within normal limits. According to the agency, on May 14, following the downing of Russian “Geran-2” drones, new fires broke out on the territory of the Opachychi Nature Conservation Research Branch of the Chornobyl Radiation-Ecological Biosphere Reserve.
“On May 14, new fire outbreaks occurred as a result of the downing of Russian Geran-2 UAVs,” the statement said. Units from the Pivnichna Pushcha enterprise, employees of the Chernobyl Reserve, specialists from radioactive waste management companies, and State Emergency Service rescuers were deployed to extinguish the fires.
Working conditions remain difficult. Due to heavy smoke, fallen trees, and difficult terrain, rescuers have to use heavy equipment, bulldozers, and chainsaws to reach the fires. Debris from Russian drones was found at the crash sites. Pyrotechnic units of the State Emergency Service are also working in the area, checking the territory for explosive objects.
The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate emphasized that no exceedances of background radiation levels have been recorded so far. “The automated radiation monitoring system has not detected any exceedances of the reference levels for equivalent gamma radiation dose rate,” the agency reported.
They also clarified that radiation levels in the exclusion zone remain within the average monthly ranges. The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate emphasized that each such attack poses an additional threat to the ecosystem of the Chernobyl zone, which has been recovering for decades following the 1986 Chernobyl accident. “Russian attacks once again pose a threat to the unique ecosystem of the Chernobyl zone,” the agency noted.
The fires are putting forests, wildlife, and natural areas at risk—areas that have become an integral part of the protected zone over the years.
In the Exclusion Zone in the Kyiv region, efforts to extinguish a large-scale forest fire that has engulfed significant areas of the reserve have been ongoing for the third consecutive day.
A massive fire in Chernobyl has engulfed hundreds of hectares of forest
The fire in the Chernobyl zone does not currently pose a radiation threat
