Chernobyl’s radiation spike poses a threat to “millions of Europeans” as fires “started by Russian shells” burn 25,000 acres

SPIKES in Chernobyl radiation could pose a threat to “millions of Europeans” as wildfires were reportedly caused by Russian shelling frenzy.

Some 31 fires have been recorded in the exclusion zone, which Ukrainian officials have warned could send radiation across much of Europe with “worldwide consequences”.

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About 25,000 acres of forest are believed to be burning near the Russian-held nuclear power plant.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk accused Russia of “irresponsible” actions around the occupied Chernobyl power plant as she called on the UN to send a mission to assess the risks.

The senior official said Russian forces were “militarizing” the exclusion zone around the station, the site of the world’s worst civilian nuclear accident in 1986.

Russian forces, Vereshchuk said, were transporting large quantities of old and poorly maintained weapons, which threatened to damage the containment built around the station’s destroyed fourth reactor.

She claimed Russian forces were preventing firefighters from bringing a large number of fires in the zone under control.

“In the context of nuclear safety, the irresponsible and unprofessional actions of Russian soldiers pose a very serious threat not only to Ukraine, but to hundreds of millions of Europeans,” Vereshchuk said on her Telegram account.

“We therefore demand that the UN Security Council take immediate measures to demilitarize the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl station and dispatch a special mission to eliminate the risks of a repeat of the Chernobyl accident as a result of the actions of the Russian occupying forces.”

She said damage to the containment vessel, built with European funding, would “inevitably result in the release of a significant amount of radioactive dust and contamination into the atmosphere not only in Ukraine but also in other European countries.”

Russia “ignores these risks” by continuing to transport weapons in areas near the station, Vereshchuk claimed.

Ukraine’s human rights commissioner Lyudmila Denisova warned that increased radioactive air pollution could threaten neighboring countries.

“Fire control and fighting is impossible due to Russian troops taking the Exclusion Zone,” she wrote on Facebook.

“As a result of the combustion, radionuclides are released into the atmosphere, which are carried over long distances by the wind. This threatens Ukraine, Belarus and European countries.”

The politician warned that failure to act could have “irreparable consequences” for “the whole world”.

“Disastrous consequences can only be prevented by the immediate evacuation of the territory by Russian troops,” Ms. Denisova added.

“Therefore, I call on international human rights organizations to take all possible measures to increase pressure on the Russian Federation to end military aggression against Ukraine and to evacuate high-risk areas.”

Moscow has previously denied that its forces have endangered nuclear facilities in Ukraine.

Russia’s troops have set up camp and withdrawn as radioactive dust has made it impossible to conduct military operations. said the Chief of General Staff of Ukraine.

Some military units are also retreating to Belarus to regroup.

Flames near Chernobyl could also engulf nuclear fuel storage facilities and nuclear waste storage facilities, it has been warned.

Dry and windy weather increases the intensity and area of ​​fires, which can lead to widespread fires.

Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun said: “It is not possible to put out the fire now because this area is not controlled by Ukraine.

“We fear that the fire will reach the nuclear power plant. The radiation is already increased.”

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It comes after Russian armed forces Missiles fired at a nuclear research facility in besieged Kharkiv.

Emine Dzheppar, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, warned that this could lead to a major environmental disaster.

and Chernobyl workers were too tired to conduct safety repairs, increasing the likelihood of a nuclear disaster, Ukraine warned earlier this month.

Employees were forced to work tirelessly at gunpoint and were not relieved for weeks.

Putin’s troops took control of Chernobyl last month when they invaded Ukraine for the first time.

radiation levels exceeded the control limits as a result of heavy military equipment rolling through.