Ukraine's National Guard retakes control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant

KIEV, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The National Guard of Ukraine said on Tuesday its divisions have arrived at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) site and taken control of the facility's security.

"The major task of the national guardsmen on the Chernobyl NPP site is ensuring security and defense of its nuclear facilities as well as physical protection of nuclear material," the National Guard said on Facebook.

The safety of the site and its transport infrastructure will be checked by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it said.

The Russian troops that had been in control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant since Feb. 24 left the facility on March 31.

The Chernobyl nuclear plant, some 110 km north of Kiev, suffered one of the worst nuclear accidents in human history on April 26, 1986.