Russia withdraws from Chernobyl in Ukraine

Sunday, April 3, 2022

Sign warning of radioactivity near Chernobyl on April 22, 2020.
Image: Government of Ukraine.

Thursday, Ukraine reported, and the IAEA confirmed Russian forces had withdrawn from the disused Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

State-owned enterprise Energoatom, which operates Ukraine's nuclear facilities, said Russian soldiers were radiated whilst digging trenches in the Red Forest of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The IAEA said retreating Russian forces moved towards Belarus, but did not confirm radiation exposure.

Russia seized control of Chernobyl in the initial stages of its invasion of Ukraine which began on February 24. The last Russian troops were reported to have left early Friday morning.


Sources