On Thursday, February 24, 2022, Russian troops descended on the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in northern Ukraine. The defunct power plant—still undergoing cleanup and decommissioning—was overtaken by the invaders and the employees held hostage. By the end of March, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Russian troops have pulled out, and is sending experts to assess safety and security there. It has been a harrowing time for people who know the site well. On the day the plant was seized, shells were falling on Tatiana Tugai’s home city…
