Russian troops have withdrawn from Chernobyl as of Friday 1 April. The retreat comes after Russia had initially held the area since 24 February.
Russia stated two reasons for leaving the Chernobyl area. They claimed to be moving on due to military losses and radiation exposure. These two reasons can be seen in the tweet from defence of Ukraine posted on 1 April at 10:56am.
Defence of Ukraine also provided information in another tweet posted on 1 April, stating that Russian occupiers looted Chornobyl nuclear power plant before retreating. As they could not keep the area, they wanted to strip it of its resources so that Ukraine could not benefit from them. It is claimed that they ‘took kettles, lab equipment, and radiation.’
In an update on conditions at the Chernobyl plant, Energoatom, which is Ukraine’s state power company, stated that (as of Friday) all control and monitoring systems were operating normally, despite the removal of several containers and spare parts. Ukrainian workers who remained at the plant throughout the occupation to monitor it had stayed safe from radiation. They also stated that there are currently no ‘outsiders’ at the site.
Energoatom have also accused the Russian military of abducting members of the Ukrainian National Guard which they had allegedly held captive since the start of the war. The information is sourced to its workers at the plant but they have not provided the numbers on how many have been abducted.
Energoatom have also stated that the Russian military left the nuclear powerplant after digging trenches and building fortifications within the Red Forest. The Red Forest is one of the most heavily polluted in the entire zone. Panic broke out within the Russian military after the first signs of radiation sickness emerged, which is what led to the retreat from the area. There are unconfirmed reports that some of these Russian troops are being treated in Belarus.