Firefighters continue to battle blaze in Chernobyl exclusion zone

WorldEnvironment
10 May 2026 • 2:19 AM MYT
DPA International
DPA International

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Image from: Firefighters continue to battle blaze in Chernobyl exclusion zone
FILE PHOTO - Group of tourists stand at the memorial in front of unit four of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which exploded in 1986. (zu dpa: «Firefighters continue to battle blaze in Chernobyl exclusion zone») Andreas Stein/dpa

Hundreds of firefighters are continuing to battle a wildfire in the exclusion zone around the former Chernobyl nuclear power station, with the situation under control, Ukrainian authorities said on Saturday.

The fire, which Ukrainian authorities believe was caused on Thursday by two Russian drones, has now burnt more than 1,200 hectares, the authorities said. They said 374 firefighters were battling the blaze.

"The situation is completely under control," the civil protection authority said. The Ukrinform news agency reported that the fire was not causing any radiation hazard.

The exclusion zone was established after the Chernobyl disaster in northern Ukraine, when a reactor test on April 26, 1986, spiralled out of control, triggering the worst nuclear accident in history.

Radioactive clouds spread across large parts of Europe, reaching as far as the north and west of the continent.

Russia has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine for more than four years, with repeated attacks affecting critical infrastructure.