This file photo shows a Maxar satellite image taken and released on March 10, 2022 of an overview of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
(Picture: Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Tech)Russian troops are leaving the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and are heading towards the Belarusian border, Ukraine’s nuclear operator said on Thursday.
The state’s nuclear operator, Energoatom, said Russian troops were also preparing to move from Slavutych, a nearby city where power plant workers live.
Energoatom said troops who had been stationed around Chernobyl had been exposed to significant levels of radiation - that claim has not been verified by Western sources.
Energoatom said the Russians have signed a document confirming the handover of the Chernobyl plant, and stating that the plant’s administration does not have any complaints about the Russian troops who were guarding the facility.
“It turns out that the occupiers `guarded’ the station for more than five weeks, and even so well that there are no complaints,” Energoatom said in a statement on Telegram.
This comes amid reports Russian troops are moving to the east of Ukraine to refocus attempts on cities such as Mariupol and to reinforce its military operation in the Donbas region.
A Ukrainian interior minister advisor said on Thursday that a “corridor” between two eastern towns, Izyum and Volnovakha, is becoming the key battlefronts in Ukraine.
“Russia is withdrawing forces in the Kyiv region, but it’s too early to say that the same is happening in the Chernihiv region,” Vadym Denysenko said.
Russia said on Tuesday it would scale down operations in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. NATO says this is a regrouping mission rather than a withdrawal.
NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg said: “According to our intelligence, Russian units are not withdrawing but repositioning. Russia is trying to regroup, resupply and reinforce its offensive in the Donbas region.
"At the same time, Russia maintains pressure on Kyiv and other cities.
“So we can expect additional offensive actions, bringing even more suffering.”
While Russian forces are refocusing in the east, a convoy of humanitarian buses departed for the besieged city of Mariupol to provide aid to the remaining citizens.
the International Committee Red Cross (ICRC) agreed to open a safe corridor with Russia and will also attempt to rescue civilians from the city which has seen some of the worst shelling since the war began.
“It’s desperately important that this operation takes place. The lives of tens of thousands of people in Mariupol depend on it,” ICRC spokesperson Ewan Watson said.
“For logistics and security reasons, we’ll be ready to lead the safe passage operation tomorrow, Friday, provided all the parties agree to the exact terms, including the route, the start time and the duration.”
With Russian forces regrouping the east, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the UK and its allies had agreed to send more lethal aid to Ukraine.
"There'll be more lethal aid going into Ukraine as a result of today. A number of countries have come forward either with new ideas or indeed more pledges of money," Wallace told reporters after hosting over 30 international partners at a conference.
