Russian troops try to seize Chernobyl nuclear plant amid warnings over spread of radioactive waste

Russian troops are trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear exclusion zone, the Ukrainian president has said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted: "Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated."

He said he had told the Swedish Prime Minister about this, and claimed it was a "declaration of war against the whole of Europe."

An advisor to Ukraine's interior minister said if any strikes from the invaders damage the nuclear waste collectors "nuclear dust can be spread over the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and the country of the EU!"

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry echoed Zelensky's warning, tweeting that a Russian attack on Ukraine could “cause another ecological disaster.”

The exclusion zone sits just across the border from Belarus, which is reportedly where the Russian troops are entering the area.

The Chernobyl plant is the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, which happened in 1986 after one of its reactors exploded.

After initially trying to cover up the explosion the Soviet authorities an international coalition had to work to stop the reactor from leaking, work that was only completed in 2019 when the entire area was covered in a giant dome.

Russia launched a full invasion of Ukraine on Thursday morning after months of heightening tensions.

Large contingents of Russian troops were seen in Belarus, leading to fears soldiers could try and sweep down from the north to Kyiv, which is less than 100 miles from the border.

Chernobyl sits on the border with Belarus and is directly north of Kyiv.

Russia's invasion has been widely condemned by the wider world, with the UK, US, EU and Nato all promising severe sanctions in response to its aggression.

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