A forest fire has broken out in the radioactive exclusion zone around the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant in northern Ukraine, authorities said on Friday.
The blaze was reportedly sparked a day earlier by two Russian drones, according to the zone's administration, and has spread across an estimated 1,100 hectares.
Dry weather, strong winds and the risk of landmines are reportedly hampering fire-fighting efforts. The Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior stated that radiation levels were within normal limits during the morning.
The exclusion zone was established after the Chernobyl disaster, 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.
