Fires in Chornobyl exclusion zone send toxic smoke over Kyiv. Ukraine says crashed Russian drones started them.
Wildfires in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone worsened air quality in Kyiv and several districts of the Kyiv region, the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute reported on June 29.
The fires broke out on June 25, the institute said. On June 27 and 28, smoke drifted south from the fires, fouling the air and cutting visibility in Kyiv and the Vyshhorod, Bucha, and Brovary districts of the Kyiv region.
Data from the Sentinel-5P satellite showed plumes of polluted air stretching up to 170 kilometers (106 miles) from the fire sites, carrying elevated concentrations of carbon monoxide and particulate matter, the institute said.
Ukraine’s State Agency for Exclusion Zone Management said the fires were caused by crashed Russian drones.
As of publication, fires in the exclusion zone are still burning. More than 200 people and around 60 fire trucks and other vehicles are battling the blazes, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported, adding that the heat is hampering those efforts.
The hydrometeorological institute warned that a northerly wind would push smoke toward Kyiv.
The State Emergency Service said it is continuously monitoring radiation levels in the fire zone. So far, readings remain within normal limits.
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