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

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

Taiyler Simone Mitchell

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 plant is home to a 1986 nuclear disaster in which portions are not expected to have the ability to support life for hundreds of years, Insider reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted the day of occupation: "Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the #Chornobyl_NPP."

"Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated," he added.

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

During the occupation, Russian soldiers ransacked offices, per photos provided to Insider by Dmytrii Korchak, a Chernobyl NPP International Cooperation & Information Department spokesperson.

Hundreds had to work while being held hostage, per The Washington Post.

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

It's possible the troops themselves were exposed to heavy radiation levels, Insider reported.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, an organization with ties to the United Nations and a specialty in radioactive safety, said that it is launching an investigation into the claims.

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

Russian forces had also seized nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, which has remained under Russian control since March 4.

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

Source: BBC.

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

Aleksandr Barsukov, the deputy director of the Chernobyl Ecocenter, told The Wall Street Journal that Ukrainian workers have discovered spray-painted conference rooms, smashed computer screens, and 100 liters of high-quality vodka.

"The poop was the icing on the cake," Barsukov said.