The Chornobyl Exclusion Zone has been closed for tourist visits since 19 February 2022 for an indefinite period. This was announced by Yaroslav Yemelianenko, the chairman of the Association of Chornobyl Tour Operators, on his Facebook page.
According to him, the closure of the Chornobyl zone is most likely due to the threat of Russian aggression and the proximity of the border with Belarus.
«Given that modern technology makes it possible to see in real-time any movements of the armed forces of all parties and respond quickly, as well as the lack of recommendations from the authorities to leave Kyiv, we hope that the ban on Chornobyl will be lifted soon.», – he wrote.
Read also: «Russia wants to provoke Ukrainian forces» – a Press-Attaché of the US Embassy in Ukraine
Yaroslav Yemelianenko also stressed that despite military tensions, many Ukrainians and foreign tourists have recently visited Chornobyl. The head of the Association of Chornobyl Tour Operators assumed that people feel safe while staying in Kyiv and travelling to the Kyiv region, in particular to the Chornobyl zone.
Translated by Vitalii Holich
You can read a Ukrainian language version of this story here.
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