It is understood that many Russian troops occupying the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine withdrew and moved toward the Belarusian border.



Ukraine's state-owned nuclear power plant operator Energoatom said in a statement that Russian troops had withdrawn from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.



Energoatom reported the situation, "The invaders who occupied the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and other facilities within the restricted access zone set off towards the border in the second column."



"Russian troops also withdrew from the village of Slautik near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant," he added.



However, it did not disclose specific circumstances, such as whether the Russian military had completely withdrawn from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant or whether some troops remained.



The Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered the worst nuclear accident in history in April 1986, and although all reactors are now shut down, spent nuclear fuel is stored in a cooling facility.



Earlier, the US Department of Defense announced that Russian troops had begun withdrawing from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.



Some argue that the Russian troops stationed at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant did not simply withdrew, but that some troops retreated after being exposed to radioactive materials.



Ukrainian local news agency UNIAN reported that yesterday local time, 7 buses carrying Russian soldiers who had been exposed to radiation arrived at a Belarusian hospital.



Citing officials from the Chernobyl restricted access zone, the news agency reported that the Russian military dug a trench in the 'Red Forest' near the nuclear power plant.



The Red Forest is an area where pine trees exposed to radiation died after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion in 1986.



Reuters, citing a local source, said the Russian military, which occupied the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, was not wearing radioactive protection equipment and was creating radioactive dust in the Red Forest.



"The Russian army drove through the Red Forest without any protective gear," the source said.



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