More than 10,000 hectares of forest burning in Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine claims

More than 10,000 hectares of forest are burning in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone a Ukrainian official has said.

Lyudmila Denisova, commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights said the fires have led to an increased level of radioactive air pollution with a threat to neighbouring European countries.
The fires are due to Russian combat in the region, the commissioner said, where 31 fires have been recorded as she called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to send firefighters and equipment to help tackle the blaze.

Ms Denisova added that the fires will increase due to windy and dry weather.

“Control and suppression of fires is impossible due to the capture of the exclusion zone by Russian troops. As a result of combustion, radionuclides are released into the atmosphere, which are transported by wind over long distances. This threatens radiation to Ukraine, Belarus and European countries,” Ms Denisova said in a Facebook post on Sunday.