Photos show the destruction Russian troops left behind at the Chernobyl power plant — including ransacked offices and graffiti

Taiyler Simone MitchellJun 16, 2022, 04:12 IST

Raul Moreno/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Russian troops occupied Chernobyl for five weeks during its invasion of Ukraine.
Hundreds of Ukrainian workers were held hostage as troops damaged the plant.

When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, their troops immediately seized the plant

Ukrainian troops prepare in case the invaders return to Chernobyl. After Russian troops left Chernobyl, the Ukrainian army has taken control of the site. Radiation levels rose due to earthworks in places such as the well-known Red Forest, where Russian troops dug trenches. Ukraine is not only facing an invader in Chernobyl, it must also fight an invisible enemy, radiation.Raul Moreno/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is located in northern Ukraine on the border of Belarus

Hundreds of workers were held hostage inside the plant during the occupation

A room full of paperwork is part of the aftermath after Russian troops fled the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.SSE Chornobyl NPP International Cooperation & Information Department

The soldiers dug trenches in the Red Forest area of the plant, raising concerns over radiation levels

An abandoned computer next to the trenches dug by Russian soldiers in the Red Forest. After Russian troops left Chernobyl, the Ukrainian army has taken control of the site. Radiation levels rose due to earthworks in places such as the well-known Red Forest, where Russian troops dug trenches. Ukraine is not only facing an invader in Chernobyl, it must also fight an invisible enemy, radiation.Raul Moreno/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Russian troops held the plant for five weeks — leaving on April 1

Russian troops left behind a devastated room after fleeing the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.SSE Chornobyl NPP International Cooperation & Information Department

Workers are now cleaning up the damage left behind by the soldiers

Clothing and other belongings are pictured left behind in a room at the plant.SSE Chornobyl NPP International Cooperation & Information Department

CNPP spokesperson Dmytrii Korchak told Insider that there was a ton of damage left to equipment, tools, and workplaces

A computer in the Chernobyl office space is missing parts and is disconnected from nearby wires.SSE Chornobyl NPP International Cooperation & Information Department

The Russian troops have also been accused of stealing items such as computers from the plant

Director of the measuring center Bespaliy Mykola Vasyliovych checks equipment and inspects the damage at Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Chernobyl city, Ukraine on May 28, 2022.Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Korchak added that one of the rooms 'was heavily vandalized and turned into a room-to-satisfy-the-filthy-needs'

Workers also claim to have found 100-liters of vodka and human feces in the plant

Russian troops left behind a vandalized room after fleeing the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.SSE Chornobyl NPP International Cooperation & Information Department

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Photos show the destruction Russian troops left behind at the Chernobyl power plant &mdash; including ransacked offices and graffiti