Earlier today, Russian forces crossed the Ukrainian border from Belarus heading south:

Ukraine’s interior ministry announced Thursday that Russian troops had pushed from Belarus, north of Ukraine, into the highly radioactive Chernobyl exclusion zone, touching off a battle that risked damaging the cement-encased nuclear reactor that melted down in 1986.

“National Guard troops responsible for protecting the storage unit for dangerous radioactive waste are putting up fierce resistance,” said Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister. Should an artillery shell hit the storage unit, Mr. Herashchenko said, “radioactive dust could cover the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and the countries of the European Union.”

Ukraine’s president announced on Twitter that there was fighting near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the #Chornobyl_NPP. Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated. Reported this to @SwedishPM. This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 24, 2022

The concern is that fighting in this area could damage the protective housing which was installed over the reactor in 2016. If that happens, winds could potentially spread radioactive material over a wide area. The foreign minister of Ukraine put out a tweet suggesting another Chernobyl disaster was possible.

In 1986, the world saw the biggest technological disaster in Chornobyl. 🇷🇺's attack on Ukraine may cause another ecological disaster moving its military forces to Chornobyl. If 🇷🇺continues the war, Chornobyl can happen again in 2022. #StopRussianAggression #RussiaInvadedUkraine pic.twitter.com/WOdmOfPmhx

— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) February 24, 2022

There is one video circulating online which appears to show Russian tanks parked near the power plant but it shows no signs of fighting.

Amateur video online allegedly showing #military presence and engagement in the #Chernobyl power plant in #Ukraine. The letter V designation in the tank could be an indication that they are #Russian. #ctto #tobeverified @cnnbrk @CNN @BBCBreaking @BBC @FoxNews @AlJazeera pic.twitter.com/wGht5PWCj9

— ☆ Pete ☆ (@osenseiyuutaro) February 24, 2022

The concern about the possibility of damage to the structure around the power plant is no doubt sincere, but the reason Russia would try to seize this area isn’t hard to fathom. As this Sky News analyst points out, Once you get around Chernobyl, there are roads heading south which are the most direct route to Kyiv.

BREAKING: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian forces are trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant.

Sky's @DominicWaghorn explains why Chernobyl is "strategically" important. https://t.co/VyuEMcCmSK

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/L2NZLLod6I

— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 24, 2022

Here’s a map showing the route:

🇷🇺🇺🇦⚡️ BREAKING: RUSSIAN TROOPS HAVE ENTERED CHERNOBYL EXCLUSION ZONE, FIGHTING ONGOING – ADVISOR TO UKRAINIAN INTERIOR MINISTER pic.twitter.com/qYvZZHqmhC

— OSINT UKRAINE (@OSINT_Ukraine) February 24, 2022

There’s another reason Russia would choose to take this particular route to Kyiv, one which Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, said was predicted by Ukraine before today’s invasion began. “They came in through the exclusion zone of Chernobyl. This zone is not protected because there is radiation, nobody lives there,” he said.

Vadym Prystaiko, Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, says Russian forces are entering Ukraine via the Chernobyl exclusion zone, which is "not protected" as there is radiation and "nobody lives there".

Live: https://t.co/NvbNzzUtyV

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/7e31EL8Og4

— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 24, 2022

And the US assessment is that Russian forces are moving on Kyiv from two directions at once with the intent of taking over the capital and “decapitating” the government.

A senior Defense Department official said that three lines of Russian troops and military forces were moving swiftly toward Ukrainian cities, with two of them headed toward Kyiv, the capital, and the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky. The forces are making their way toward Kyiv from Belarus in the north and Crimea in the south, using missiles and long range artillery, the official said.

“Our assessment is they have every intention of decapitating the government and installing their own method of governance,” the official told reporters in a briefing at the Pentagon. He said the Pentagon does not have “perfect knowledge” of the Russian troop movements but described what he characterized as the “initial phase of a large-scale invasion,” coming from Belarus and Crimea.

People in Kyiv are now trying to flee to the west, toward Poland.

As Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, lines of cars moved out of the capital, Kyiv, many heading west and hoping to find safety in parts of the country closer to Poland and NATO troops.

Follow live updates. https://t.co/kxpyE5YuYP pic.twitter.com/9XBzrdTyVw

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 24, 2022