in the heart of Chernobyl, a plant occupied by the Russians for nearly five weeks

The Chernobyl atomic power plant (Ukraine) was occupied by the Russian army for nearly five weeks, posing the threat of a new nuclear disaster. Journalists from France Télévisions were able to enter the exclusion zone of the plant, where human presence is normally prohibited. Reactor No. 4, which exploded in 1986, is protected under a sarcophagus. On February 24, 2022, Russian soldiers seized the Chernobyl power plant. After leaving the site, they left personal belongings behind and disrupted its secure operation.

Tuesday, April 26, experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are on site. The radioactivity measurements taken are considered normal, but should be monitored. “What happened last month was a case of nuclear security which was not normal, and which could have produced an incident”explains Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, who rules out a disaster similar to that of 1986.