If the reports are confirmed, the question “Who didn’t see this coming?” has never been more dead-on. Perhaps literally. Russian troops working in “the exclusion zone” around the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl may have been exposed to “significant doses of radiation,” Ukraine’s state energy company Energoatom said in a statement on Friday, CBS News reported.

As reported by my colleague Susie Moore in early March, Ukrainian officials said power to Chernobyl had been cut off following damage to a high-voltage line during fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian forces occupying the defunct facility, raising concerns at the time that the cut-off could result in a radiation leak. That does not appear to be the case here.

The company said it could not determine the degree of radiation exposure the troops may have had, but there were unconfirmed reports that some had been sickened. Other reports suggested Russian soldiers suffered “acute radiation sickness” from contaminated soil after digging trenches in a forest near the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history — in 1986.

The area of the forest is reportedly considered so highly toxic that not even highly specialized Chernobyl workers have been allowed to enter the exclusion zone.

Valerіy Seyda, director of the plant, also said in the statement:

The invaders did not dig anything on the territory of the plant itself, but the thick dust raised by equipment in transit, and the radiation particles in it, may very well have entered the bodies of Russian occupiers through the lungs.

Furthermore, no one knows what the invaders were doing in the Red Forest, and it is also possible that they could have received significant doses of radiation when they dug trenches in this forest.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense attributed the Russian departure to battlefield defeats to the Ukraine military, in two blistering tweets.

[R]ussian occupiers left Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Two key reasons: losses caused by [Ukraine] army and radiation exposure. [R]ussian mutants lost this round of @stalker_thegame.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. — Shadow of Chernobyl is a suvival video game.

russian occupiers left Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Two key reasons: losses caused by 🇺🇦 army and radiation exposure. russian mutants lost this round of @stalker_thegame#UaArmy

— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 1, 2022

The second tweet was just as blistering.

[R]ussian occupiers looted Chornobyl nuclear power plant before retreating. They could not conquer 🇺🇦, so they took kettles, lab equipment, and radiation. This only applies to those who survived, though.

If we’ve learned anything about the Ukrainian people over the last five weeks it’s that they are resilient and courageous as hell in the face of an onslaught from a brutal attacker that indiscriminately kills civilians, and has likely committed war crimes and other atrocities.

russian occupiers looted Chornobyl nuclear power plant before retreating. They could not conquer 🇺🇦, so they took kettles, lab equipment, and radiation. This only applies to those who survived, though.#stoprussia

— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 1, 2022

A source told Reuters:

A big convoy of military vehicles drove along a road right behind our facility and this road goes past the Red Forest (the most contaminated part of the exclusion zone. The convoy kicked up a big column of dust. Many radiation safety sensors showed exceeded levels.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement on Friday it was unable to confirm reports that Russian troops were exposed to high doses of radiation while at Chernobyl. Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA, said he would be leading a mission to the plant as soon as possible.

I will head an IAEA assistance and support mission to the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant as soon as possible. It will be the first in a series of such nuclear safety and security missions to Ukraine.

I will head an @IAEAorg assistance and support mission to the #Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant as soon as possible. It will be the first in a series of such nuclear safety and security missions to #Ukraine.

— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) April 1, 2022

To add to the confusion, as noted by CBS News, Yevhen Kramarenko, head of Ukraine’s agency in charge of the exclusion zone, said radiation levels now appeared to be normal, but that the facilities “needed to be checked.” In addition, Kramarenko said Russian troops were seen in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl plant on Friday, after Energoatom on Thursday said they had left the plant itself, which was seized at the beginning of the invasion on February 24.

Finally, as noted by Yahoo News, U.S. intelligence reported on Wednesday that Russian forces began withdrawing from the area. And Russia claimed the withdrawal from Chernobyl was part of a pledge to scale back the invasion.

The bottom line:

War is hell. The stories of that hell as it unfolds are often told by propagandists from one or more sides or perspectives. That appears to be the case here.

Regardless, Russia is both getting its ass kicked and kicking its own ass in a war Vladimir Putin not all that long ago thought the “mighty” Red Army could breeze through in three-five days.

Yup, Vlad — war is hell.