Russian troopers allegedly stole extremely radioactive objects as "souvenirs" from laboratories in Chernobyl, a Ukrainian company stated this weekend.

The troops looted and destroyed two laboratories within the Chernobyl exclusion zone which are used to check radiation affect, substance traits, and different radioactive makes use of, in keeping with a Fb submit by the State Company of Ukraine for Exclusion Zone Administration.

In an act of "nuclear terrorism," the troops allegedly entered a repository of ionizing radiation sources in a single laboratory and "stole and broken 133 sources with a complete exercise of about seven million becquerels," the company stated. That quantity is similar to 1,534 kilos of radioactive waste with the presence of beta and gamma radiation, it added.

"Even a small portion of this exercise is lethal harmful when unprofessional and uncontrollable habits with it," the company stated.

Chernobyl
Russian forces allegedly looted extremely radioactive supplies from Chernobyl, in keeping with Ukrainian authorities. Above, the nuclear energy plant is seen a number of weeks after the catastrophe in Chernobyl, Ukraine in Could 1986. Igor Kostin/Getty Photos

Russian troops additionally allegedly stole computer systems and different workplace gear from a laboratory within the NPP Safety Institute, in keeping with the company.

The company stated the laboratories additionally contained sources of ionizing radiation and samples of fuel-containing supplies, and their whereabouts are at the moment unknown. It's attainable these objects had been eliminated and left elsewhere within the exclusion zone, however such an act would pose a security threat to employees members.

"If radioactive supplies had been left within the exclusion zone, 'discarded,' it is a threat for employees, which additional emphasizes the significance of speedy restoration of radiation-dosimetric research and the elimination of those extremely lively sources in specialties not a storage unit. After checking for the absence of measurements and the supply of kit, this exercise will probably be instantly restored," the company stated.

Nonetheless, the company famous that it's extra doubtless that the objects had been taken by Russian troops as "souvenirs."

"Within the case of carrying such a memento with you for two weeks, radiation burns are assured and radiation illnesses and non-reversible processes within the physique start," the Ukrainian company stated.

It added that such an irresponsible act ought to end result within the troopers receiving the "Darwin Prize"—a sarcastic prize that acknowledges people who contribute to human evolution by by accident killing or sterilizing themselves.

Chernobyl, positioned north of Kyiv, has been contaminated with extremely harmful radioactive supplies since one of many world's worst nuclear disasters occurred at its nuclear energy plant in 1986. When Russian forces started their invasion of Ukraine on February 24, they seized management of the ability plant and exclusion zone.

Nonetheless, the Pentagon and Ukrainian forces introduced late final month that troops have since withdrawn from the realm.

Newsweek reached out to the overseas ministries of each Ukraine and Russia for remark.