Overview
- The blaze, which Ukraine says two Russian drones ignited on Thursday, has burned more than 1,200 hectares in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
- Regional chief Vyacheslav Chaus accuses Moscow of sending drones that obstruct suppression flights and ground crews.
- More than 370 responders are deployed across the zone as Ukraine’s civil protection agency says the situation is under control.
- Dry weather, strong winds, mine contamination, and continued drone activity are slowing containment despite a declared three-day fire pause.
- Germany’s radiation authority says forest fires in the area can lift legacy fallout into smoke detectable beyond the zone at levels far below the 1986 disaster.