Denys Vyshnevskyi, head of the scientific department of the  Chornobyl Biosphere Reserve, tells what happened in the exclusion zone during the occupation. Most of the employees managed to evacuate.  Russian soldiers caused a lot of damage during the occupation, stealing everything that could be resold. They broke computers and pulled out microchips. They took refrigerators and other household appliances. 

It was not easy to restore the reserve’s operations, but it is functioning. The experience of the exclusion zone is used to model events that may unfold in other areas contaminated with explosive materials.