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A Ukrainian official confirmed that Russian forces have taken control of the Chernobyl nuclear site.
A battle with Russian troops began earlier Thursday at the site of the world's most devastating nuclear disaster, according to the Mirror. An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in the report that Russian troops have also taken Chernobyl staff hostage. Experts say this location, only about 60 miles from Kyiv, is well positioned for troops to march to the capital city, adding to the invasion that started Thursday morning.
The adviser, Mykhailo Podoliak, told the Associated Press he could not confirm the current conditions of the nuclear site, saying, "After the absolutely senseless attack of the Russians in this direction, it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe."
In a Facebook post, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, said the National Guardsmen at the site who fought the Russian troops guarded the "collectors of unsafe nuclear radioactive waste," adding that artillery damage to the collectors could spread "radioactive nuclear dust" across Ukraine, Belarus and European Union countries.
On April 26, 1986, there was a chemical explosion at Chernobyl that exposed almost 8.4 million people across Ukraine, Belarus and Russia to radiation, according to the United Nations. After more than three decades, the general public has not been allowed inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, which allowed endangered species like Greater Spotted Eagles to thrive without human intervention, Newsweek previously reported.
While radiation still lingers at the site, the levels are not fatal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In the Mirror report, Podoliak expressed concern over what kind of impact the Russian troops might have on the historic site.
"Either they will use the damage received by the facilities during the attack to blame Ukraine for this, or they will damage these undoubtedly most dangerous facilities themselves," he said.
Podoliak added that the takeover is "one of the most serious threats to Europe today," the Mirror reported. "Knowing the habits of the Russians, they are probably already preparing provocative things at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant," he added.
Before the Russians took control of the site, Zelenskyy wrote on his Twitter that he is sharing the information about the attack with other world leaders.
"Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated," he wrote. "Reported this to [Sweden's prime minister]. This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe."
Update 02/24/22 2:30 p.m. ET: This story was updated to add more information.
