A new Chernobyl? Emergency in Western Ukraine as Radioactive gamma radiation spikes after a “mushroom” exploded

There is intense ongoing discussion on social media about a radiation spike in the area where the most powerful Russian strike took place. The reason for the missile attack on the city of Khmelnytskyi, where two consecutive mushrooms were formed that resembled a nuclear explosion.

A clear spike in gamma radiation was detected in Khmelnytskyi on May 12, with emission continuing to increase the next day (the day of the impact) and remaining at a high level thereafter.

Khmelnytskyi is a storage site for weapons systems and a transit hub for front-line troops in eastern Ukraine. Experts draw attention to the fact that the fire at the site of the missile attack on the military warehouse is extinguished by robots from a distance. There are radiation control patrols in the city.

In terms of the fire size, it can be compared to that of the fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It was very intense and affected a large amount of fuel. Therefore, the potential area of ​​the contaminated area could also be comparable to that of Chernobyl.

Background radiation measurements are made “in unusual places”. They used to be held in the area of ​​the Khmelnytskyi NPP (Neteshyn and its surroundings), now they are held in the regional center, in the west of the region and in Ternopil. After the attack on the ammunition depot, the wind blew in a westerly direction.

According to data from air quality measurement website SaveEcoBot:

Depleted uranium does not produce radioactivity. It is impossible that this release was caused by the specific projectiles. Uranium munitions contain depleted uranium, which emits even less than normal uranium: the half-life of U-238 is 4.468 billion years, that is, it emits weakly. Chemical toxicity is a concern because it is a heavy metal.

There are some rumors that there was nuclear waste stored, but at the moment they cannot be confirmed.

The poisonous uranium dust is so great that the firemen dare not enter the scene. In this case. The dust created by combustion would very easily rise into the atmosphere, disperse and settle. 

Ukrainians reported that the population of Western Ukraine is panicking. They are packing up and moving away from Khmelnytskyi and even from Lviv and Ternopil. People are advised to close the doors and windows and clean the houses with water. Otherwise all this will be accompanied by a bunch of cancers, reproductive problems, etc.