Ukraine officials are reporting higher levels of radiation around Chernobyl nuclear plant after Russian troops took control of the facility on Thursday.
Control levels of gamma radiation were “exceeded” at the site of what is considered the worst nuclear disaster on record, but the condition of the nuclear facilities remained “unchanged,” the Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine said Friday morning local time.
“Experts of the Ecocenter connect this with disturbance of the top layer of soil from movement of a large number of radio heavy military machinery through the Exclusion zone and increase of air pollution,” officials in a statement.
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The Parliament of Ukraine posted a map of a radiation monitoring system pointing to the areas of concern.
“Data from the automated radiation monitoring system of the exclusion zone, which is available online, indicate that the control levels of gamma radiation dose rate (red dots) have been exceeded at a significant number of observation points,” they wrote.
Data from the automated radiation monitoring system of the exclusion zone, which is available online, indicate that the control levels of gamma radiation dose rate (red dots) have been exceeded at a significant number of observation points. pic.twitter.com/G4WEGgkMcT
— Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (@ua_parliament) February 25, 2022
Parliament said that the cause for the change was “impossible” to determine because of Russia’s occupation of the area and ongoing military action.
The legislative body then called on NATO and the European Union to close the sky over Kyiv and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone to “minimize the casualties” among civilians and to “save the world from a new nuclear catastrophe” in a separate tweet.
To minimize the casualties among the civilian population, save the lives of innocent ?? children and women and to save the world from a new nuclear catastrophe, we urge @NATO & #EU to close the sky over #Kyiv and the #Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. pic.twitter.com/c4livWMbLR
— Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (@ua_parliament) February 25, 2022
On Thursday, both Ukrainian and Russian officials confirmed that Russian troops had captured a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian president, said it was “impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration was “outraged” by the “credible reports” that Russian soldiers were holding the staff of Chernobyl facilities hostage.
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In 1986, reactor No. 4 on the nuclear plant’s site was destroyed by an explosion that killed at least 28 people and rendered the surrounding area, or the exclusion zone, uninhabitable.
The site about 80 miles from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, still holds about 200 metric tons of highly radioactive material, according to World Nuclear Association.
