They built firing points and dug in in the Red Forest, or How the Russians occupied Chernobyl

Back in the first Russian invasion of Ukraine, on February 24, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) was captured by the invaders. It is located only 16 km from the border of Ukraine with Belarus, so the Russians managed to quickly and unexpectedly get there. How did the days pass in the occupation and why the Russian troops did not adhere to the rules of conduct in such a dangerous zone, the publication said with the BBC.

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Now the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is again under the control of Ukraine, and BBC correspondent Yogita Limaie was one of the first to visit there, talking with employees who have been trying to ensure the safety of the facility all this time. They talked about what happened after the capture of the station.

Russian troops, supported by armored vehicles, invaded Ukraine from the territory of neighboring Belarus, first of all captured about 170 Ukrainian national guards guarding the nuclear power plant, locked them in the basement of the station, after which they began to search the territory in search of explosives and ammunition.

The station's engineers and technicians were allowed to continue their work.

“The military wanted to know how the nuclear power plant was managed, they wanted to receive documentation. I was overcome with fear because the interrogations were constant, sometimes with the use of force,” says Alexander Lobada, head of the station’s radiation safety department.

Two days later, groups of specialists from Rosatom arrived in Chernobyl.

On the subject: Nuclear reactions resumed at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant: can the catastrophe be repeated

Although the nuclear power plant has been decommissioned, a large amount of radioactive waste is stored there, and the plant's equipment needs constant maintenance.

Since the 1986 disaster, billions of dollars have been spent to decontaminate and contain the further spread of radiation. In case of non-compliance with safety measures, new serious radiation leaks are possible. That is why the employees of the nuclear power plant, even after the capture of the station, made every effort to keep the situation under control.

Operating rooms, from where the main control is carried out, are located on the top floor of the nuclear power plant building on both sides of a long narrow corridor. Some of these rooms were under lock and key. Not finding the keys, the Russian military simply broke down the doors.

“We had to constantly bargain with them and at the same time try not to offend them, so that they would allow the staff to carry out their duties,” recalls engineer Valery Semenov.

When electricity was cut off at the station for three days, Valery had to urgently look for fuel for the electric generator and even steal it from Russian soldiers.

“If we lost electricity, a catastrophe could happen,” explains Alexander Lobada. “There could be a release of radioactive materials, and you can imagine on what scale.” I have never been so afraid for my life as I was for what would happen if I couldn’t keep track of the equipment. I was afraid that this would turn into a tragedy for all humanity."

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The area directly outside the station is called the Red Forest - it is one of the most contaminated areas on the planet. It was this area that received the main flow of radiation during the explosion in 1986, and the trees, mainly pine trees, instantly died, the needles turned red. This forest is one of the most radioactively contaminated areas in the world.

At the same time, as pictures taken from Ukrainian drones showed, Russian soldiers dug trenches there and even lived in this forest for some time, apparently unaware of the radioactive danger. This was confirmed by the station workers themselves.

According to the Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom, these soldiers could have received serious doses of radiation.

Right in front of the concrete sarcophagus that covers the damaged reactor, Russian soldiers have set up firing points protected by sandbags in case of a possible attack, although, according to Valery, it would never occur to the Ukrainian military to fire near a nuclear reactor.

In the basement of the main building, a kind of dormitory was arranged. Mattresses, clothes, shoes and other personal belongings of the Ukrainian National Guardsmen who were held captive there are still lying on the floor. When the Russian troops left, they took the prisoners with them.

“We managed to maintain the safety of the nuclear power plant, but, unfortunately, they took away our military,” complains Valery. There is no reliable information about where the 169 Ukrainian National Guardsmen may be, but station personnel believe that they are being held on Russian territory.

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