Sunday Morning Inside Chernobyl's exclusion zone - 40 years on
Apr 25, 2026
Matthew Sparkes, science and technology reporter for outlets including New Scientist, recounts his visit into Chernobyl's exclusion zone. He explores the vast contaminated landscape, radioactive half-lives and long-term risks. He discusses wartime damage to containment, impacts on decommissioning and halted scientific research. He describes wildlife returning, people still living there, and the eerie atmosphere around the sealed reactor.
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Sarcophagus Not Built For Modern Weapons
- The shelter over Reactor 4 is not designed to resist military strikes.
- Even a relatively small drone pierced the airtight arch, risking wind, rain and dust stirring up hazardous material if hit harder.
Landmines Make The Zone Dangerous For Wildlife And People
- Landmines now pose a major hazard inside the exclusion zone for humans and wildlife.
- Mines from both Russian occupation and Ukrainian defensive measures are scattered widely and have killed animals and at least one firefighter.
People Still Live In Parts Of The Zone
- The exclusion zone is not abandoned and includes longtime residents.
- Some elderly couples have remained for decades with gardens, pets and legal tolerance from the Ukrainian government despite contamination.