The area of ignition of grass flooring in the Kotovsky forestry area in the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant grew to 35 hectares on Tuesday afternoon, the Main Department of the State Emergency Situations Service in the Kyiv region said.

"As of 14:15, as a result of a gust of wind, fire spread over grassy flooring to the 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th quarters of the Kotovsky forestry with an area of up to 35 hectares. Two Mi-8 helicopters of the State Emergencies Service were sent to the fire site and 10 units of equipment and personnel from the territory of the Zhytomyr Region are planned to be relocated. Firefighting aircraft (An-32P) carried out nine discharges - 72 tonnes of water," the message said.