- Title: 'Nobody is not afraid': Chernobyl pilot recalls his fear 33 years ago
- Date: 16th August 2019
- Summary: CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, UKRAINE (RECENT - JULY 2019) (REUTERS) UKRAINIAN MILITARY PILOT, MYKOLA VOLKOZUB, ACCOMPANIED BY CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT (NPP) ENGINEER OUTSIDE NEW SAFE CONFINEMENT SHELTER OVER CHERNOBYL'S FOURTH REACTOR WHICH EXPLODED ON APRIL 26, 1986 / PROTECTIVE ARCH OVER REACTOR VOLKOZUB AND ENGINEER WALKING TOWARDS CONFINEMENT FOURTH REACTOR COVERED BY OLD PROTECTIVE SARCOPHAGUS UNDER CONFINEMENT SHELTER (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN MILITARY PILOT, MYKOLA VOLKOZUB, SAYING: (WHILE LOOKING AT SARCOPHAGUS) "It has nothing in common with how it was in the past. It was devastated. It was totally devastated. There was a pipe and some parts were simply hanging. And this..." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN MILITARY PILOT, MYKOLA VOLKOZUB, SAYING: "Is level of radiation high up there?" (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) ENGINEER, NO NAME GIVEN, SAYING: "Yes, it is high. The higher the location is, the higher level of radiation is." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN MILITARY PILOT, MYKOLA VOLKOZUB, SAYING: (POINTING IN DIRECTION OF WHERE HE SAW SOLDIERS) "I saw soldiers running with shovels over there." ENGINEER: "They were running over there - where the highest point is (pointing at sarcophagus) that is where it was." STRUCTURES AND SARCOPHAGUS UNDER CONFINEMENT SHELTER VOLKOZUB TAKING PICTURE WITH PHONE VOLKOZUB AND ENGINEER WALKING PART OF METAL STRUCTURE UNDER CONFINEMENT SHELTER VOLKOZUB UNDERGOING RADIATION CONTROL PRYPYAT, UKRAINE (RECENT - JULY, 2019) (REUTERS) VOLKOZUB BEING DRIVEN THROUGH ABANDONED CITY ABANDONED BUILDING SEEN THROUGH CAR WINDOW (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN MILITARY PILOT, MYKOLA VOLKOZUB, SAYING: (WALKING ACROSS PRYPYAT CITY SQUARE AND POINTING AT LOCATIONS) "On April 27, 1986, the first helicopters landed right here and were loaded here. Boric acid in sacks were brought up here. It was right here." VOLKOZUB ACCOMPANIED BY GUIDE, WALKING GUIDE MEASURING RADIATION LEVELS WITH EQUIPMENT / VOLDOZUB TAKING PICTURES WITH PHONE CRACKED WINDOWS ABANDONED BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UKRAINIAN MILITARY PILOT, MYKOLA VOLKOZUB, SAYING: "I was present at the first session of the emergency commission and I heard them discussing the question: "What to do? What to do?" (Nuclear scientist) Valeriy Alexeyevich Legasov said measures must be taken urgently in order to cover the area to prevent the emission of radiation."
- Embargoed: 30th August 2019 10:04
- Keywords: Ukraine Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant military pilot Mykola Volkozub Prypyat nuclear disaster explosion radiation
- Location: CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, PRYPYAT AND CHERNOBYL, UKRAINE
- City: CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, PRYPYAT AND CHERNOBYL, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASGUU61
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: More than three decades after he flew his helicopter above the radioactive volcano that was Chernobyl's nuclear reactor number four, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, Mykola Volkozub recalls how he feared for his life.
Now 87, the Ukrainian military pilot returned to Chernobyl last month for the first time since the 1986 accident and recalled how he had made three separate flights over the reactor to measure the temperature and composition of gases inside.
Recalling the events, Volkozub said the operation was well planned and despite the danger, he knew he had to go through with it.
Eyeing up the reactor for the first time in 33 years, Volkozub said he couldn't recognise it. Today the reactor is covered by a massive confinement shelter that was built to cover an ageing sarcophagus designed to stop radiation leaking out.
Volkozub, who donned a heavy lead vest to protect himself from radiation, was awarded a "Hero of Ukraine" medal for his bravery. After making three flights that lasted for 19 minutes, 40 seconds in total, he was nonetheless exposed to such a high dose of radiation that some dosimeters went haywire when he tried to measure his exposure.
The brand new MI-8 helicopter he made the flights in, which was fitted with special lead plates on the floor, was also exposed to radiation. It was later abandoned at a cemetery for irradiated equipment, having made only three flights.
The accident in then Soviet Ukraine was caused by a botched safety test that sent plumes of nuclear material across much of Europe. It killed dozens of people within weeks and forced tens of thousands to flee. The final death toll of those killed by radiation-related illnesses such as cancer is subject to debate.
Volkozub, who despite his age still supervises test pilots who work for Antonov, a Ukrainian state-run aircraft manufacturer, said he was calm and calculating at the time despite his fear.
(Production: Sergiy Karazy, Bogdan Basii, Margaryta Chornokondratenko) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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