The Chernobyl power plant, which suffered a reactor meltdown in 1986 that left dangerously high radiation levels in the area, was the site of one of the first face-to-face confrontations in the Ukraine War. Russian forces won that battle, taking control of the reactors and raising concerns throughout Europe about their stewardship of them.
Recent reports show just how real those concerns were.
While the Russian army has occupied the Chernobyl plant, Ukrainian workers remain stationed there and overseeing the site’s safety protocols. Around 200 employees were still at Chernobyl as of March 7, according to the BBC, where they have continued carrying out duties despite limited food and medical supplies. Chernobyl workers are usually rotated out regularly, but since the Russian occupation employees have had to endure dangerous weeks-long shifts.
Two of these employees have reportedly witnessed instances of rash and dangerous conduct by the Russians, according to Reuters, with one source calling their behavior “suicidal.” Some soldiers had reportedly never heard about the disaster that some historians believe signaled the beginning of the end for the Soviet Union.