According to multiple media outlets, Russian soldiers forming offensive positions in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone fell ill due to radiation.
Truckloads of soldiers leaving the area were suspected of contracting the disease after entering heavily irradiated areas early in the Ukrainian invasion, and diplomats have since confirmed this, according to the Independent.
The 4th reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant began to melt down on April 26, 1986, resulting in a catastrophic explosion that spewed irradiated material into the atmosphere and across Europe. After the immediate area was covered in irradiated dust, a massive 2,600 square kilometer exclusion zone was created to prevent continued exposure to the public. The area was closely watched by military guards, but due to a safe level of radiation, it could be visited by tourists as long as they wore long sleeves, did not disturb the soil, and avoided the “red forest”.
However, the Russian soldiers, who used the region as an entry point to Ukraine, did not comply with these important security rules.
To secure their position, they reportedly began digging trenches in the cover of forested areas that absorbed large amounts of fallout in the aftermath of the disaster. Disrupting the ground and vegetation in the area is seen as an effective way to deliver dangerous doses of radiation, and soldiers reportedly camped there for about five weeks. They are also said to be fishing for catfish in the channel.
The local Ukrainians, who refused to evacuate the area, warned the soldiers of the dangers of their behavior, but the soldiers persisted, the Times reported. They reportedly knew the risks, but one resident said they were “hard-headed” and ignored the risks.
The Russians entered the area on February 24, 2022 and remained in that position until April 1, 2022, when Ukrainian troops launched a successful counterattack to secure the area.
Diplomats confirmed that the soldiers fell ill as a result. Although local residents stated that they warned the soldiers, it is not clear whether they all knew about the risks. We can almost be sure that the leadership knows the risks, but many Russians are not taught this disaster in schools and many may not be aware of the dangers posed by the forest.
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