Fears Russian wildfires could drive radioactive Chernobyl waste towards Moscow

Ecologist says radioactive particles from trees and plants burnt by summer fires in Chernobyl fallout area could be carried for hundreds of miles by winds

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"Radionuclides may reach places at distances of hundreds of kilometres, depending on the weather," he said. "If the Bryansk region is in flames, they can reach the Novgorod region, Moscow and, in some conditions, eastern Europe."

Russians fear worst as fires reach Chernobyl fallout zone

"What is not clear is what could be the danger of the combined radiation effect and toxic effect of the smog. No one knows how these effects multiply each other."

Fires reported in Russia's nuclear-contaminated forests

Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu last week acknowledged the danger from fires in the contaminated regions. He told the AP on Wednesday, however, that ``the situation here is not as difficult as in the areas around Moscow."

Pollution caused by the fires has forced the evacuation of children and elderly people from Moscow to southern Russia as well as to Ukrainian sea resorts, the RBC news agency reported, citing a high-ranking city official.

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``There is a danger, but we are controlling the situation,'' he said.

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Onishchenko, who is also head of the consumer protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, urged the media not to "spread panic."