KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th April, 2020) The Ukrainian police have identified the individual suspected of being involved in starting a fire on the territory of a forestry located in the exclusion zone of the now defunct Chernobyl nuclear energy plant, the press service of the department of Ukraine's National Police in the�Kiev region said in a statement on Monday.
On Saturday, a forest fire broke out near the village of Volodymyrivka, located within the exclusion zone. The second fire started on Sunday near the Rahivka village 50 miles northwest of the first one. The first and second blazes initially covered areas of 20 hectares (250 acres) and 5 hectares, respectively.
"The police in the Kiev region identified the perpetrator responsible for the fire that destroyed 5 hectares of forest ... It turned out to be a 27-year-old resident of the village of Rahivka. As the man explained to the police, he set fire to garbage and grass in three places for fun. After that, the fire was taken further by the wind, and he could not cope or put out the fire," the statement said.
Criminal proceedings in connection with the incident have been launched.
