The restoration by Ukraine of the radiation monitoring system in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, which was damaged by Russian occupation forces, is an important achievement for maintaining international partners' confidence, Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Minister of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets has said.

"The biggest achievement is that together with the State Agency on Exclusion Zone Management we have been able to resume the operation of the radiation monitoring system. Most of our partners have always been interested in the situation with radiation. And now, we can show the world truthful data through our application EcoZagroza that is used all over the world," he told a press briefing during a visit to Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on the 37th anniversary of the Chornobyl accident.

According to Head of the State Agency on Exclusion Zone Management Yevhen Kramarenko, $2 million of $15 million donor funds previously allocated for specific projects have already been disbursed for restoration of the Exclusion Zone.

Another $8 million were transferred to the International Chornobyl Co-operation Account, which is funded by 49 donor countries that financed the construction of a confinement over the destroyed power unit of Chornobyl NPP, he said.

These funds were spent, in particular, on the restoration of the central analytical laboratory of the Ecocenter State Specialized Enterprise, dosimetric control and other important equipment that was destroyed by the occupiers.

In general, according to him, about $100 million and several years are needed to restore the Exclusion Zone.

The Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Minister said on Facebook that a separate plan for restoring the Exclusion Zone includes ten directions and 40 projects, the funding of which this year amounts to $15 million.