Part of Chornobyl Reserve land allocated for fortification construction – decree
According to Ukrinform, Decree No. 835/2024, titled "On Changing the Boundaries of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve," was published on December 5 on the President's official website.
Under the decree, lands within the exclusion and unconditional (mandatory) resettlement zones along the state border, spanning a width of 45 meters and totaling 695.2 hectares, have been removed from the Reserve. These plots are to be permanently allocated to military units of the State Border Guard Service for the construction, maintenance, and operation of engineering and fortification structures, fences, border markers, patrol paths, and communication systems.
The total area of the Reserve now stands at 226,269.5 hectares.
The Cabinet of Ministers has been tasked with the following:
- within six months, to ensure the withdrawal of 45-meter-wide land strips along the state border;
- within six months, to amend the regulations governing the Chernobyl Biosphere Reserve;
- during 2025, to revise the Reserve’s organizational and protective measures plan.
The decree came into effect upon its publication.
As previously reported, Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesperson for the Siversk Operational-Tactical Group of Troops, noted that defense systems along Ukraine’s northern border differ significantly from other regions due to the area's marshy and forested terrain. However, Ukraine’s Defense Forces have adapted effectively to these geographical conditions.
