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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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The whole episode also perplexes Shelestiy. He was released following a round of negotiations days before the Russians retreated, after their troops were routed in the battle for Kyiv.