Ukraine's State Emergency Service stated on the 8th that a fire broke out in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and, due to strong winds, spread rapidly. As of that morning, the burned area exceeded 1,100 hectares.
The State Emergency Service said on social media that dry weather, strong winds, and the risk of landmines in certain areas greatly limited firefighting efforts. In particular, firefighting had not started in some forest areas due to the threat of explosives.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs also posted on social media, saying that as of 11 a.m. local time on the 8th, radiation levels across the country—especially in the northern part of Kyiv region near the exclusion zone—remained at normal levels.
According to Ukrainian media reports, the fire in the Chernobyl exclusion zone was caused by a drone crash. At present, neither Ukrainian officials nor the media have indicated the drone’s origin.
On April 26, 1986, the No. 4 reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, causing a severe accident. Afterwards, the Soviet Union designated a 30-kilometer radius around the plant as a nuclear exclusion zone.