Radiation levels at the former Chernobyl power plant in northern Ukraine present no danger to people or the environment, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday, following an assessment of the site.
The IAEA report came after its inspectors travelled to Chernobyl, the scene of the 1986 nuclear disaster, to provide technical support following the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Russia occupied the site for five weeks following its invasion of Ukraine, before Kiev's forces regained control. Media reports said Russian soldiers could have suffered radiation exposure during the fighting.
IAEA inspectors detected higher radiation levels in and around trenches dug by Russian soldiers, but these did not reach dangerous levels, agency chief Rafael Grossi said.
"Quite clearly, it's not a place to have a picnic or to excavate," he said, adding that the annualized level in the trenches was 6.5 millisieverts.
For comparison, staff at Ukrainian nuclear facilities are allowed to be exposed to a maximum level of 20 millisieverts per year, Grossi said.
He said his greatest concern is now the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in sout-eastern Ukraine, which is under Russian control. Moscow's forces are using the Melitopol airport in the Zaporizhzhia region for fighter planes and helicopters, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. Any misdirected projectile or similar mishap could have serious consequences, Grossi said.
