Ukraine reports higher but “not critical” Chernobyl radiation

An aerial view from a plane shows a New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure over the old sarcophagus covering the damaged fourth reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant during a tour to the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine April 3, 2021. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo

Feb 25 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s nuclear agency and interior ministry said on Friday they were recording increased radiation levels from the site of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Experts at the state nuclear agency did not provide exact radiation levels but said the change was due to the movement of heavy military equipment in the area lifting radioactive dust into the air.

“Radiation starts to increase. It is not critical for Kyiv for the time being, but we are monitoring,” the interior ministry said.

The still-radioactive site of the 1986 nuclear disaster lies some 100 kilometres from Kyiv.

Ukraine’s neighbour Poland said it had not recorded any increase in radiation levels on its territory.

Reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Hugh Lawson

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