Der russische Vormarsch in Richtung Kiew durch die Sperrzone von Tschernobyl, 2022.

SS: When Russian troops invaded Ukraine in 2022, some advanced through the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, the most radioactive place on Earth, and even dug trenches in the contaminated Red Forest.

Since the 1986 reactor explosion, that area has remained one of the deadliest environments for long-term exposure. But the danger didn’t sink in with soldiers or their commanders, who reportedly suffered radiation sickness after camping there.

This map shows the 2022 Kyiv Offensive including the route Russian forces took through the Chernobyl zone before being pushed back.