Fires have broken out in the Exclusion Zone following a Russian drone attack. As reported by the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management, a large-scale fire in the Chernobyl zone had been extinguished only the day before, UNN reports.
Only the day before, a large-scale fire that lasted several days was successfully contained, yet the territory of the Chernobyl zone has come under attack again. On May 14, as a result of the downing of Russian "Geran-2" type UAVs, new fire hotspots emerged on the territory of the Opachytskyi Nature Conservation Research Department of the Chernobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve.
As reported by the State Agency, the situation is complicated by heavy smoke, fallen trees, and difficult terrain. To ensure access to the fire hotspots, heavy equipment, bulldozers, and personnel with chainsaws are deployed.
Remnants of Russian drones were found at the crash sites; pyrotechnic units of the State Emergency Service are currently working on-site.
Despite the new fire, the radiation background in the Exclusion Zone does not exceed control levels.
The automated radiation monitoring system has not recorded any exceedances of the control levels for the ambient dose equivalent rate of gamma radiation. According to available data, the radiation background levels in the exclusion zone, compared to monthly average values, have not exceeded the limits of measurement accuracy.