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'No way out': Life under the Russians at Chernobyl

It began as a normal shift at Chernobyl for Oleksiy Shelestiy but as night turned to day on February 24, distant artillery fire and the arrival of Russian troops changed everything.

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'WORRIED, NERVOUS' Amid the uncertainty, Shelestiy said he tried to console his team, whose families in the nearby town of Slavutych had been largely surrounded by Russian forces. Back in Slavutych, mayor Yuriy Fomichev walked a fine line, managing relations with Russian forces, helping smuggle supplies into the besieged community and comforting the families of the captive workers. "I had to calm them down and explain that it was necessary to be patient," said Fomichev.