Last week, a Greenpeace briefing was held in the press center of the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center in cooperation with the State Agency of Ukraine for Management of the Exclusion Zone.
Journalists from the world community joined the briefing. In particular, representatives of the Japanese and Finnish media.
The Greenpeace organization, with the agreement and cooperation of the State Agency of Ukraine for the Management of the Exclusion Zone, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, was able to conduct a limited radiation survey in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
For 6 days, the team conducted its research and measurements using a specially designed UAV (drone).
The drone operated at a distance of 100 m from the ground surface and showed that a significant excess of background radiation was recorded in the places where the Russian military was entrenched.
“Abandoned Russian trenches have levels that can be qualified as low-level nuclear waste”
Jan Vande Putte, Greenpeace Belgium’s leading radiation expert
The samples that were measured in the mobile laboratory in the field showed a sharp contrast of Cs-137 concentrations in the range of 45,000 BC/kg. Greenpeace emphasized that the disturbance of soil layers by the Russian army could lead to a higher level of migration of radionuclides into the environment.
Representatives of Greenpeace together with Ukrainian scientists in the Exclusion Zone also documented that, as a result of Russia’s military actions, serious damage was caused to important laboratories, databases and radiation monitoring systems – a unique scientific infrastructure developed in cooperation with the world scientific community, including the necessary laboratory equipment for research the impact of radiation on people and the environment. And this poses a threat to the security of this and future generations.
Greenpeace Germany’s senior nuclear specialist, Sean Burney, emphasized the importance of conducting research and understanding the complex radiation consequences after the occupation of the Chernobyl zone by Russian forces for the whole world. In addition, the Greenpeace team emphasizes that Russia’s illegal war is a crime against the environment and world science.
The head of DAZV Yevhen Kramarenko and general director of the state specialized enterprise “Ecocenter” Serhiy Kireev also took part in the press conference.
Greenpeace experts expressed their deep gratitude for the support and cooperation of Ecocenter scientists, in particular the general director, as well as the State Agency of Ukraine for Exclusion Zone Management.
Since you’re here…
Contamination Zone is a group of people who are united by our love for the Chernobyl Zone. We are a non-profit organisation and every year we raise thousands of euros for good causes in the Chernobyl Zone, such as firefighting equipment, monument restoration, animal welfare and more.
If you are planning or thinking about a trip to the zone, please check out our trips, or our Frequently Asked Questions. If you still have unanswered questions, contact us below!
Charlie Tango(https://contamination.zone)