The sudden ear-piercing beep of a radiation meter fills the room as a Ukrainian soldier walks in. This is where Russian soldiers were living at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and radiation levels are now higher than normal.
Highlights
- CNN was given exclusive access to Chernobyl nuclear power plant for the first time since it came back into Ukrainian control.
- Russian soldiers held Chernobyl for a month and are thought to have been operating in contaminated areas most of the time.
- The area around Chernobyl, namely the Red Forest, is still the most nuclear contaminated area on the planet.
- Radiation levels inside the room used by Russian soldiers are only slightly above what the World Nuclear Association describes as naturally occurring radiation.
- One-time contact would not be dangerous, but continuous exposure would pose a health hazard.
- Officials say it’s an example of what Ukrainian officials say was the lax and careless behavior of Russian soldiers.