SEVASTOPOL, May 13. /TASS/. The Russian monitoring system is continuously monitoring the danger of radiation contamination, and its data will allow all services to respond promptly if any release from the fire near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant occurs in Russia’s regions, Yury Braslavsky, associate professor of the Nuclear Power Plants Department at Sevastopol State University, told TASS.

"The spread of radioactive elements into our territory, if it occurs, will be immediately detected, and appropriate measures will be taken. The exclusion zone itself is unevenly contaminated, and if a fire passes through so-called radioactive ‘spots,’ coupled with strong winds, the spread of radioactive elements is quite possible. The direction of their spread will depend on the wind direction, and the amount will depend on the contamination of the burning area," Braslavsky said.

However, he noted, predicting whether such a release will occur is quite difficult, as the exact boundaries of the current fire are unknown. Furthermore, the expert noted, fires in the Chernobyl zone occur regularly, given the problems with monitoring the zone and maintaining fire safety within it.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported that the country’s State Emergency Service has been trying to extinguish a forest fire over an area of 1,100 hectares in the Chernobyl exclusion zone in the Kiev Region since May 7. As of May 10, the fire had burned through 1,200 hectares and is currently contained, but isolated pockets of smoldering remain, particularly in peat. According to the ministry, radiation levels remain within normal limits.