More than 10,000 hectares of forests are on fire in the exclusion zone near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant due to hostilities, said Lyudmila Denisova, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada. In particular, 31 fires were recorded, which leads to an increased level of radioactive air pollution..

“The control and extinguishing 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 carried by the wind over considerable distances.. This threatens Ukraine, Belarus and European countries with radiation,” Denisova said..

She added that due to windy and dry weather, the intensity and area of \u200b\u200bfires will increase.. This can lead to super-scale fires that are difficult to control even in peacetime.. In this case, the storage of spent nuclear fuel and storage of nuclear waste in the territory of the Chernobyl zone may be covered by fire..

“I appeal to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to send experts and fire extinguishing equipment to Ukraine as soon as possible in order to prevent irreparable consequences not only for Ukraine, but for the whole world. Catastrophic consequences can only be prevented by the immediate de-occupation of the territory by Russian troops. Therefore, I call on international human rights organizations to take all possible measures to increase pressure on the Russian Federation to stop military aggression against Ukraine and de-occupy high-risk zones,” Denisova said..