Russian forces dug trenches in Chernobyl’s Red Forest, an area that has been tagged as “highly radioactive” in the Exclusion Zone of one of the worst nuclear disasters, a new video released by Ukrainian authorities shows. The trenches seem to be similar to those that were dug in Bucha to be used as mass graves.

The video was reportedly filmed by the Ukrainian military and released by a state-owned operator of Ukraine’s power plants. In addition to the trenches, the video also shows abandoned military fortifications and tank tracks.

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The Red Forest is considered to be one of the most radioactive regions left behind in the Eastern European country after the 1986 nuclear disaster. The area is included in the Exclusion Zone, which means that anyone who does not work there or has special permission is not allowed to visit.

While it is still unclear what Russian forces were doing in the area, plant workers noted that the presence of heavy tanks and other military vehicles in the area could plough out thick radioactive dust and expose multiple people, according to reports from CNN.

The area was labeled Red Forest months after the economic disaster in 1986 after dozens of square kilometers of pine trees turned red after prolonged exposure to radiation that was expelled from the broken power plant, according to reports from Reuters.

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Russian forces took control of the Chernobyl area soon after the Ukrainian invasion started on February 24, 2022. Multiple stakeholders, including Ukrainian authorities and Western countries, have previously cautioned that Russia’s “irresponsible” activities in the Exclusion Zone can endanger the lives of thousands.

Edwin Lyman, a nuclear expert with the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said it “seems unlikely” a large number of troops would develop severe radiation illness, but it was impossible to know for sure without more details.