Air quality in Kyiv and several districts of the Kyiv region has sharply deteriorated because of wildfires in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute reported this on June 29.
According to the institute, the fires began on June 25. Several days later, on June 27–28, smoke from the fire sites drifted south, worsening both air quality and visibility in Kyiv and in the Vyshhorod, Bucha, and Brovary districts of the region.
“According to Sentinel-5P satellite data, plumes of polluted air with elevated levels of carbon monoxide and particulate matter were detected and could be traced as far as 170 kilometers from the fire sites,” the institute said.
Ukraine’s State Agency for the Management of the Exclusion Zone said the fires were caused by fallen Russian drones. As of June 29, the fires in the zone were still ongoing.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said that more than 200 people and about 60 pieces of specialized equipment had been deployed to fight the fires. Hot weather in the region has made the work more difficult.
Hydrometeorological specialists warned that if the wind turns northerly, the smoke could again spread toward Kyiv. The emergency service added that radiation levels in the fire area are being continuously monitored and for now remain within normal limits.