NG Colonel Zhar: Doing everything possible to prevent another Chernobyl tragedy

This was reported by Yevhen Zhar, a colonel in the National Guard and commander of the military unit guarding Ukraine’s northern border, in the latest episode of Ukrinform’s program “Commanders of Our Victory.”

“Our station [Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant] is, as everyone likes to say, a tourist route, stalkers. And indeed, the scale of the tragedy of that time and its consequences is very impressive. Regarding the uniqueness of the unit: we have learned to work with this, to take care of safety, to ensure that this never happens again,” he said.

During the conversation, the soldier recalls the day when Russian troops struck the nuclear power plant area, as his unit was involved in dealing with the aftermath of the attack. At that time, the enemy damaged the containment. Colonel Zhar said that the radiation background is currently normal, but there are “some nuances” in the performance of the Ark cooling system.

“The price of a mistake can be very, very high. Why did they do it? I never look for logic, or rather, I look for it, but I don’t find any logic in their actions. Take Energodar, for example. There, during the capture of the station, they also fought with our soldiers who were guarding and defending it. And they, without hesitation, fired tanks at the station buildings,” the soldier recalls.

Yevhen Zhar

Yevhen Zhar is a commander with extensive combat experience. After graduating from the academy, he planned to serve his first contract and then go to a hot spot. His dream came true, but he had to fight at home. In 2014, Zhar went to eastern Ukraine. His duties were quite broad: from escorting top government officials to conducting sweeps, ambushes, and escorting humanitarian and military convoys.

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he served in the Omega special forces unit of the National Guard of Ukraine.

“I haven’t forgotten a single task. They are all stored in my head. From the usual escort of certain people to certain places — governors or state, guard, or ministry officials — to zero sorties or sorties into the gray zone. The range of tasks for special forces is limitless,” the commander shares.

Currently, he and his comrades are guarding the northern border and are ready to do everything possible to stop the enemy if necessary.

The military officer spoke more about his combat experience, the specifics of working in the radioactive zone of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the unique operations of special forces units, rehabilitation after injuries, and veteran sports in the full version of the program, which is available on Ukrinform’s new YouTube channel. The colonel also answered questions about whether an attack from Belarusian territory is possible at this time.

As reported, Ukrinform has launched a series of programs called “Commanders of Our Victory” about representatives of the command echelon of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. During the interview, viewers will learn more about the commanders on whom not only the successful completion of combat missions but also the lives of soldiers depend. These are officers with combat experience gained in complex military operations; commanders whom soldiers look up to and who lead them to victory.