The background radiation in Kyiv, the Kyiv region, and in the Zhytomyr region, as well as chemical air pollution levels in the Ukrainian capital are within norm, the State Service for Emergency Situations said.
“The situation around forest fires in the exclusion zone of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and in the Zhytomyr Region is gradually improving,” director of the emergency response department of the State Service for Emergency Situations Volodymyr Demchuk said at an online press briefing on April 21.
Demchuk noted that the seat of fire was put out near the village of Korohod on April 21 morning. The State Service for Emergency Situations now focused on firefighting efforts near Rozsoha, Kryva Hora, and Rudka. Measures were undertaken to prevent the fire from spreading onto the territory of Belarus, Demchuk additionally said.
“The new safe confinement facility, spent nuclear fuel storage facility, and other facilities in the exclusion zone operate as usual,” the head of the department said.
Another seat of fire was contained near the village of Ostriv in the Zhytomyr region. “Major efforts are focused on fighting and containing the seat of fire in the Vystupovytske forestry,” Demchuk added.
“The background radiation in Kyiv, the Kyiv region and in the exclusion zone is within normal radiation levels,” the director of the department said.
“Chemical air pollution levels in Kyiv did not drastically change following the yesterday’s sharp fall. The levels of the concentration of dust, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, formaldehyde, and carbon oxide are mostly lower than the maximum admissible concentrations or are approaching them,” Director of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center Mykola Kulbida said.
