Inside Chornobyl: 40 years after disaster, nuclear site still at risk in Russia’s war
exclusion zone](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/23/exclusion-zone-chornobyl-wildlife-thrives-amid-pro-nuclear-shift), a radioactive landscape the size of Cyprus, largely abandoned by humanity. Stray dogs roam the plant in packs – workers advise against petting them.
Inside is “the sarcophagus” – a grey concrete