In 1986 the Chernobyl nuclear facility was the center of one of the worst nuclear disasters in human history. Today Russian forces are moving into the region around the storied facility.

Saskatchewan based travel blogger Kenton deJong visited the site in 2016 – an experience that he’s reminded of as he reads the headlines surrounding the region today.

“It’s heart breaking,” says deJong. “For so long Ukraine has been under Russia’s shadow, they have been starved, beaten, gulagged – to see it again is horrible.”

Kenton’s travels took him close to the fabled Chernobyl “exclusion zone”, an area he says is still quite dangerous.

“There is a lot of radiation deep inside the plant. A lot of plutonium, a lot of material. If it was to explode and spew out into the area – it would be highly radioactive.”

The core of the plant dejong says is currently contained.  “it’s encased for the most part now, but if it were to get penetrated and destroyed it would irradiate not just Ukraine, but Belarus as well.”

DeJong adds that Chernobyl is a “time bomb” that needs to be treated delicately – or there may be a threat to not just Ukraine, but the rest of eastern Europe.

Kenton DeJong’s travel blog can be found at www.kentondejong.com