New Delhi: Ukraine's nuclear energy regulatory agency says that higher than usual gamma radiation levels have been detected in the area near the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant, after it was seized by the Russian military. The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate said Friday that higher gamma radiation levels have been detected in the Chernobyl zone, but didn't provide details of the increase. It attributed the rise to a disturbance of the topsoil due to the movement of a large amount of heavy military equipment through the exclusion zone and the release of contaminated radioactive dust into the air.
Russian forces seized control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant after a 'fierce' battle with the condition of nuclear storage facilities 'unknown', Ukraine has said, sparking fears of a radiation leak that could cause fallout in Europe, Daily Mail reported.
An alleged video revealed Russian tanks and armoured vehicles standing in front of the destroyed reactor, which sits just 60 miles north of the capital Kiev, the report said. Meanwhile Turkey reported that one of its ships had been hit by a 'bomb' off the coast of Odessa, where fighting is also going on.