Chernobyl, Where The Worst Nuclear Disaster In History Took Place Is Now In Russian Control

The invading Russian troops have reportedly captured the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, a senior government official said.

¡°It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians,¡± Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor in the Ukrainian president¡¯s office said. ¡°This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today.¡±

Reuters/ File

History of Chernobyl

The Soviet-era powerplant near the city of Pripyat was the scene of the worst nuclear disaster in history.

The fourth reactor at Chernobyl, 67 miles (108 km) north of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, exploded in April 1986 during a botched safety test, sending clouds of radiation billowing across much of Europe and reaching the eastern United States.

Soviet authorities initially sought to cover up the disaster and did not immediately admit to the explosion, tarnishing the image of reformist Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his "glasnost" policies for greater openness in Soviet society.

AP

Estimates for the numbers of direct and indirect deaths from the disaster vary from the low thousands to as many as 93,000 extra cancer deaths worldwide.

The decommissioned plant was a no-go zone for humans ever since as the radiation levels there were high.

Tourist attraction

However, in recent years, it had become a tourist attraction. The Chernobyl zone was shut for tourists a week before the Russian conflict with Ukraine broke out.

Following the violent capture of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, there are reports of safety concerns.

AP

Video revealed Russian tanks and armoured vehicles standing in front of the destroyed reactor.

An official said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was reported, although this has not yet been corroborated.

Alyona Shevtsova, an adviser to the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, wrote on Facebook that staff members at the Chernobyl plant had been "taken hostage."

AP

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense issued an update saying that though the plant was "likely captured,'' the country's forces had halted Russia's advance toward Chernihiv and that it was unlikely that Russia had achieved its planned Day One military objectives.

The fall of Chernobyl also means that Russian troops are inching towards the Ukrainian capital.

As of Friday, several explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers on a phone call that Russian mechanized forces that entered from Belarus were about 20 miles from Kyiv.

For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.