--- title: "Ukraine Says Russia Destroyed Lab That Monitors Chernobyl Radiation Levels" description: "Ukraine claims Russian forces have looted and destroyed the lab that was used to monitor radiation levels of nuclear waste at the Chernobyl nuclear plant." date: "2022-03-23" modified: "2022-03-23" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ukraine-russia-destroyed-lab-chernobyl" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "chernobyl" - "Russia" - "the digest" - "ukraine" --- # Ukraine Says Russia Destroyed Lab That Monitors Chernobyl Radiation Levels ![Ukraine claims Russian forces have looted and destroyed the lab that was used to monitor radiation levels of nuclear waste at the Chernobyl nuclear plant.]() *\Image: 2022 Maxar Technologies\* ## Looted The Ukrainian government says Russian forces have looted and destroyed the lab that was used to monitor radiation levels of nuclear waste at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, [*CNN* reports]() — more trouble for the already ailing site of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Without the ability to monitor radiation levels at the site, experts could potentially miss signs of increased contamination at and around the plant. The lab was a European Union-funded facility that analyzed samples of radioactive waste. Some of the samples were also reportedly taken from the lab by Russian troops. These samples include unstable atoms that are still capable of emitting harmful amounts of radiation. The Ukrainian government said that it hopes Russia would "harm itself, and not the civilized world" with the loot, as quoted by *CNN*. ## Fire Sale The news comes after [seven separate forest fires]() cropped up in the Chernobyl exclusionary zone, a heavily forested area of roughly 1,000 square miles surrounding the facility. According to a [Tuesday statement]() by the Ukrainian government, Russian forces were impeding efforts to control these fires. Workers at the nuclear plant were working at gunpoint and under grueling conditions for weeks. Many of them were released earlier this week, but 13 staff members declined to be relieved of their duty, according to *CNN*. While experts say it's unlikely we will see another meltdown like the 1986 explosion, it's safe to say that the situation is as precarious as it has ever been since. **READ MORE:** [Russia destroys Chernobyl radiation monitoring lab, says Ukraine]() \[*CNN*\] **More on the plant:** *[Russia Accused of Impeding Efforts to Fight Fires Near Seized Chernobyl Plant]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()