Germany's Der Spiegel reports on intensive preparations by the Ukrainian military in the exclusion zone, where trenches are being dug and anti-drone nets installed, just 15 kilometers from the Belarusian border.
Ukrainian forces are intensively preparing the Chornobyl exclusion zone for the possibility of a new Russian attack from Belarusian territory, German media outlet Der Spiegel reported on Monday, August 10, 2026. In the abandoned area around the former nuclear power plant, the military is fortifying defensive positions, digging trenches, and creating protective galleries, preparing for all scenarios.
According to information relayed by Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels, including UNIAN and RVvoenkor, the activities are aimed at preventing a potential breakthrough by Russian forces from the direction of Belarus, whose border is just 15 kilometers away.
In addition to conventional fortifications, tall metal structures with nets are being installed along roads in the exclusion zone, intended to protect against drone attacks. Should the security situation deteriorate, the region could find itself within direct range of Russian FPV drones.
An additional dimension to the preparations is revealed by the NOELREPORTS UA channel, which reports that the Ukrainian military has also destroyed a railway bridge previously used by workers at the Chornobyl plant. The aim of this operation was to prevent Russia from using that route to move troops in the event of a new offensive in northern Ukraine.
Heightened activity in the Chornobyl zone is not new. In late July 2026, footage emerged in the media showing the construction of multi-kilometer 'anti-drone tunnels' in the uninhabited area right along the border with Belarus. These structures, covered with nets, are designed as protected corridors for the movement of personnel and equipment, hidden from enemy reconnaissance and aerial attacks.
The intensive fortification of a zone that for decades has been a symbol of abandonment and radioactive contamination is a strong indicator that Kyiv is seriously considering the possibility of reopening the northern front and a Russian advance from Belarusian territory, similar to the start of the invasion.
