The area, the scene of the largest nuclear accident in history in April 1986, remains one of the most radioactive places on the planet.
On the morning of February 24, 2022, the troops of the Russian army began the invasion of Ukraine. For weeks there was speculation about the possibility of an invasion through the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. The area, the scene of the largest nuclear accident in history in April 1986, remains one of the most radioactive places on the planet.
In the first hours of the invasion, it seemed that the Russian army could avoid Chornobyl. It was announced that columns of armored vehicles had entered Ukraine and were heading towards Chernihiv/Chernihiv, the main city east of Chornobyl. Throughout the morning, the entry of more troops from Belarus was reported, through the small border post of Vilcha, to the west of the Exclusion Zone.
During the afternoon, Russian troops took control of the Exclusion Zone and the Chornobyl nuclear complex. Ukrainian sources, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, reported heavy fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the area. Russian military sources speak of the seizure of Chornobyl without much opposition. It is difficult to know today how events unfolded.
Ukraine’s atomic energy regulator announced that after the seizure of the plant, the operators of the nuclear complex remained at their posts and that the facilities had not been damaged. The complex consists not only of Reactor 4 with its containment building, but also Reactors 1, 2, and 3, and the SNF-1 and SNF-2 used fuel storage buildings. Some 22,000 nuclear fuel units remain in Chornobyl.
The possibility of fighting in Chornobyl and the loss of control of the nuclear complex by the Ukrainian authorities increased the concern about the state of the facilities and the radiation in the surroundings. All the information that currently exists ensures that the facilities are in perfect condition and have not suffered any damage. Hours after the capture of Chornobyl, several of the automatic radiation sensors registered significant increases in their measurements.
The recorded increase in radiation levels is associated with the passage of a large number of heavy vehicles through the area in the direction of Kyiv. These vehicles would have raised a large amount of dust and mobilized some radioactive particles from the ground. It is important to note that this increase remains well below the limits considered dangerous for health. The registered radiation levels are still much lower, for example than those of many commonly performed medical tests (mammograms, scanners…).
An intense movement of dust could cause a problem in the event that a highly active radioactive particle (“hot particles” of plutonium) is ingested. This effect is unlikely and in any case, limited to a very local scale.
There is no reason to fear that the plant’s fuel could be used to create a dirty bomb, much less a nuclear bomb. That material does not have the necessary enrichment for it. In addition, Russia has its own very large nuclear arsenal. The occupation of Chornobyl can be understood from a strategic and perhaps symbolic point of view.
In short, there must be peace of mind regarding the state of the Chornobyl facilities, the material housed there, and the radiation in the area. The concern regarding the occupation of Ukraine should be focused on other scenarios.
Hopefully, the situation will return to normal soon and Chornobyl can continue to be a place dedicated to the memory of the accident and where we can continue to dedicate ourselves with our Ukrainian colleagues to the study and conservation of its rich biodiversity.
