Police detain illegal entrants to Chornobyl zone, among them foreigners

More than two dozen illegal entrants were detained in the Chornobyl zone in August 2012 by employees of the police battalion for the protection of the zone of radioactive contamination, the media liaisons office of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's main office in Kyiv region reported on Tuesday, Sept. 4.

"Eight extreme travelers are foreigners who legally arrived in Ukraine, and others are from the [Ukrainian] capital, as well as Donetsk, Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Chernihiv regions. Among the fans of exotic trips were two women," police said.

The media liaisons office noted that the extreme tourists were aged between 17 and 36. They failed to get to Prypiat, as police detained them near the fence.

"There were even pleased to fall into the hands of the police officers. It's only necessary to imagine the degree of danger posed to people when they get to the zone: forest thickets, marshes, animals, and the absence of mobile communications. After sustaining injuries during this trip, the violators needed medical care. Employees of the police battalion were the first to rescue the tourists, who were lost and [suffering from] the high temperatures," the regional police said.

The tourists had to pay a fine of Hr 365 and more for violating the requirements of the regime of radiation safety in contaminated areas.

As for the foreign tourists, they returned home. Police and the Security Service of Ukraine informed embassies of the illegal penetration of citizens of other states into the territory of the Chornobyl zone.