"A wildfire spanning at least five square miles broke out inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone on Friday after two drones crashed near the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, according to Ukrainian authorities. Firefighters are working to contain the blaze, and officials said radiation levels are currently within normal limits, according to multiple news reports. The origin of the drones was unclear, but the French news agency AFP quoted Vyacheslav Chaus, governor of the neighboring Chernihiv region in Ukraine, as saying that Russian craft have been constantly hovering over the area and impeding the fire response."
"(Chaus also said the blaze was around 15 square miles, larger than other official reports.) Throughout the war in Ukraine, the nation has accused Russia of reckless attacks on its nuclear sites, including Chernobyl. A Russian drone strike in 2025 has left the massive protective steel dome over Chernobyl's Reactor No. 4 damaged for more than a year, although radiation levels have appeared normal."
"This was the reactor that exploded on April 26, 1986, and sent radioactive fallout across Europe. The blast killed two engineers instantly, while dozens more workers at the plant became sick and died because of radiation exposure over the proceeding decades. Thousands of cases of cancer in people living near the plant have also been tied to radiati"
A wildfire covering at least five square miles broke out inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone after two drones crashed near the disaster site. Ukrainian authorities reported that firefighters were working to contain the blaze and that radiation levels were currently within normal limits. The drones’ origin was unclear, but officials said Russian craft had been hovering over the area and interfering with fire response. The fire was reported as larger than some earlier estimates, reaching around 15 square miles. During the war, Ukraine has accused Russia of reckless attacks on nuclear sites, including Chernobyl. A 2025 Russian drone strike damaged the protective steel dome over Reactor No. 4 for more than a year, while radiation levels appeared normal. The reactor explosion in 1986 killed two engineers instantly and caused long-term radiation-related illnesses and deaths among workers and nearby residents.
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