Ukraine Radiation: As fighting raged on the outskirts of Kyiv and on other fronts, Russian troops began evacuating the Chernobyl nuclear plant after soldiers received “substantial doses” of radiation from constructing trenches at the severely contaminated site, Ukraine’s state power company said Thursday.
Energoatom provided no information about the troops’ condition or the number of those who were affected. The Russians, meanwhile, were believed to have dug into the forest inside the exclusion zone surrounding the now-closed plant, which was the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986.
According to Energoatom, the troops “panicked at the first indication of illness,” which “showed up very soon,” and began preparing to depart. The Kremlin did not respond immediately, and the International Atomic Energy Agency said it was unable to confirm claims of Russian troops receiving high levels of radiation. It stated that it was looking for additional information.
In the early phases of the Feb. 24 invasion, Russian forces captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, increasing fears that they might cause damage or disruption that could spread radioactivity. The site’s staff is responsible for the secure storage of spent fuel rods as well as the concrete-encased ruins of the destroyed reactor.
A big number of troops developing severe radiation illness “seems unlikely,” according to Edwin Lyman, a nuclear scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists in the United States, but it’s impossible to know for sure without more data.
Radiation has increased
During the cleanup of Chernobyl, he said, hazardous Radiation material was probably buried or covered with new topsoil, and some soldiers may have been exposed to a “hot spot” of radiation while digging. Others may have assumed they were in danger as well, he speculated. Ukraine is seeing “a buildup of Russian forces for further strikes on the Donbas, and we are prepared for that,” according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Meanwhile, after the Russian military agreed to a brief cease-fire in the area, a convoy of buses drove to Mariupol in another attempt to evacuate people from the besieged port city. The Red Cross said it was sending teams to Mariupol with medical supplies and other aid in the hopes of evacuating residents from the besieged city. Thousands of people have been able to flee Mariupol through humanitarian corridors in recent weeks, bringing the city’s population down from 4,30,000 before the war to an estimated 1,00,000 as of last week, but further efforts to relieve the city have been stymied by Russian attacks.
The Russians announced earlier this week that they would drastically reduce activities in the areas surrounding Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv in order to build confidence between the two parties and facilitate negotiations. Chernihiv was attacked as well. According to Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Lyudmyla Denisova, Russian shelling of a humanitarian convoy of buses going to Chernihiv to evacuate inhabitants cut off from food, water, and other supplies killed at least one person and injured four others.
Russian artillery barrages were also reported in and around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s northeastern metropolis. Despite the fighting, Russia declared a cease-fire along the highway from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, which is controlled by Ukraine. Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, said 45 buses would be dispatched to gather citizens who have endured some of the war’s toughest hardships.
During a weeks-long blockade and bombing of the city, food, water, and medical supplies have all ran out. Civilians who have been able to flee have done so in private cars, although the number of drivable vehicles in the city has plummeted, and fuel is scarce. “It is critical that this operation be carried out,” the Red Cross stated in a statement. “The lives of tens of thousands of Mariupol residents are at stake.”
According to the chairman of the Ukrainian delegation, David Arakhamia, video talks between Ukraine and Russia were expected to start on Friday, just weeks after a war that has killed hundreds of people and forced 4 million Ukrainians to abandon their homes.
However, there appeared to be little hope that the two sides would conclude the dispute anytime soon, especially following Russian attacks in areas where it had offered to reduce its presence.