The State Emergency Service of Ukraine has confirmed that a massive forest fire in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone was caused by the crash of two Russian Shahed-type drones.
The incident occurred on May 7 during an aerial attack on Kyiv region. As of May 8, the fire has spread across approximately 1,100 hectares of the reserve. Emergency responders have been working to contain the flames for two consecutive days, according to Deutsche Welle.
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The fire is spreading rapidly due to strong gusts of wind and very dry weather conditions. Firefighting efforts are significantly limited because several areas within the forest are marked as dangerous due to landmines.
According to the State Emergency Service, “The situation is complicated by dry weather, strong wind, and mine danger in certain sections of the territory, which significantly limits the possibility of conducting extinguishing work. In particular, in part of the forest blocks, work is temporarily not being carried out due to the threat of explosive objects.”
Management of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve reported that the “safe remains of two UAVs” were found at the location where the fire started. Despite the size of the fire and the smoke rising from the forest, radiation levels in the area remain within the normal range, measuring between 0.19 and 0.35 microsieverts per hour.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine stated that the radiation situation is stable across the country, including the northern part of the Kyiv region.
The Chornobyl Exclusion Zone covers about 2,600 square kilometers and has been largely uninhabited since the 1986 nuclear disaster. Although wildfires have happened in this region before, current combat operations and the presence of explosives continue to complicate environmental protection efforts.
Previously, it was reported that several Ukrainian electrical substations critical to nuclear safety were damaged during Russian strikes, leaving the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant completely without external power.
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