The place is probably banned from the public, and one of the most
radioactively polluted areas on planet Earth. But Ukrainian troops carry out
military exercises in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, on the Belarusian
border, amid ongoing tensions between Russia and NATO.
"Ukrainian troops practiced urban warfare and other tactics in the northern
city of Pripyat on Friday (4/2/2022)," AFP news agency reported.
Due to the many unique characteristics of the area, it offers unique
training opportunities.
However, the location is also extremely dangerous, as the city lies within
the nuclear radiation zone of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, when a nearby
nuclear power plant suffered partial destruction during safety tests.
"Since there are no civilians around here, we can carry out exercises with
real ammunition in a situation as close as possible to a real urban war," a
Ukrainian soldier told AFP.
According to the report, the troops practiced clearing buildings of enemy
forces, firing mortars and engaging snipers in urban conditions.
Emergency services workers also practice evacuation and firefighting.
Exercise photos show troops in snow gear maneuvering the streets and through
wooded areas, and the installation of "porcupine" tank traps and barbed
wire.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who was accompanied by
reporters to the Exclusion Zone, downplayed the threat posed by the Russian
army.
However, he described the Exclusion Zone as a major bottleneck, with
radiation of only one hazard.
"This area is very difficult to traverse, there are forests, swamps, rivers,
it is quite complicated to travel on foot, especially by tanks," said
Reznikov.
He added, "And don't forget that since the disaster, there are still some
highly radioactive areas on the route from Belarus."
Civilians are generally not allowed in the exclusion zone, where some of the
worst radiation emitted by the No. Chernobyl Reactor. 4 leaks and irradiates
the ground. The area covers about 1,000 square kilometers and borders the
Belarusian border.
Pripyat, which at the time had 50,000 residents, many of whom worked at a
nuclear power plant, was evacuated after the April 1986 incident, along with
many other towns in the area.
Since then, Pripyat has become a scary ghost town. The surrounding
countryside has been studied by naturalists who are fascinated by what
happens when all human interaction comes to a halt in one urban area.
A New Safe Shelter has also been erected over the collapsed fourth reactor
to stop further radioactive leaks, a task that is expected to be carried out
for the next century.
Kiev deployed several thousand troops to the area from November, when the
West began to raise fears of an alleged Russian invasion plan after Russian
troops were deployed near the Ukrainian border.
If the attack comes from Belarus, the Exclusion Zone offers one of the
fastest ways to the capital Kiev. Moscow has denied any planned invasion,
and troops deployed to Belarus are scheduled for joint military exercises
later this month.
Indeed, Kiev has also sought to play down Western fears, saying Russian
troops near the border are insufficient to form an invasion force, and such
deployments are legal and typical.
As a way to defuse the crisis, Moscow has made security proposals that would
protect its western flank, asking NATO not to expand further east, including
refusing to recognize Ukraine as a future member of the alliance.
Moscow also demands that no offensive troops be stationed by NATO in
Ukraine.
So far, the alliance has refused to remove the possibility of recognizing
Ukraine, but has made some concessions about placing offensive weapons in
Ukraine or certain other weapons in nearby states.
However, the US has demanded that Russia withdraw its troops from near the
Ukrainian border, placing all the blame for the crisis on Russia's
shoulders.
