New forest fires break out in Chornobyl zone due to Russian drone attacks, radiation background within control levels – agency

Air attacks by Russian occupation forces, including the attack on May 13-14, 2026, are causing forest fires and creating a threat to the ecosystem of Chornobyl zone, the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management has said.

"Russian attacks are once again creating a threat to the unique ecosystem of Chornobyl zone, where every new fire is a risk to forests, wildlife and territories that have been recovering for decades after the 1986 disaster," the agency said on Facebook on Thursday.

According to the agency, fires have broken out again in the exclusion zone as a result of a Russian drone attack. On May 14, new fire outbreaks occurred on the territory of the Opachychi Nature Protection Research Department of Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve after Russian Geran-2 UAVs were shot down.

Units of the Pivnichna Pushcha State Specialized Enterprise, Chornobyl Reserve, the Central Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management State Specialized Enterprise, the Ecocentre State Specialized Enterprise and rescuers of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine have been involved in extinguishing the fires. The situation is complicated by heavy smoke, fallen trees and difficult terrain. Heavy equipment, bulldozers and personnel with chainsaws are working to ensure access to the fire sites. Remnants of Russian drones have been found at the crash sites, and pyrotechnic units of the State Emergency Service are continuing their work.

"Despite the new fire, the radiation background in the exclusion zone does not exceed control levels. The automated radiation monitoring system has not recorded any exceedance of control levels for gamma radiation equivalent dose rate," the agency said.

According to available data, radiation background indicators in the exclusion zone, compared with average monthly values, have not gone beyond the limits of measurement accuracy.