200 Exhausted Chernobyl Staff Toil at Russian Gunpoint

The Wall Street Journal spoke to workers held captive by Russian soldiers inside the Chernobyl nuclear plant and reviewed texts they sent to family members.

“The picture that emerges is of a skeleton crew of nuclear technicians that has been working under duress for nearly three weeks. One has a thyroid problem and needs medicine, as do several with high blood pressure. In the one-minute calls Russian soldiers allow workers to place to family members, they have told of extreme fatigue, dizziness, nausea and terrible headaches.”

“That exhaustion is mutating into rebellion, with staff members arguing with their captors over the nature of Russia’s war and staging acts of defiance.”