Once one of the largest chemical production facilities in the Soviet Union, Fabrika Radikal now sits abandoned. The one-time clandestine Soviet factory was closed in 1996, but lurking within its crumbled remains are an estimated 200 tons of mercury and other toxic chemicals. These chemicals pose a major threat to public health, and experts say that Radikal could potentially cause one of the worst environmental catastrophes in Kyiv’s history.
Other episodes of the Ukraine on the Brink series:
Ukraine on the Brink: Transforming Ukraine’s nuclear cities
Ukraine on the Brink: Deforestation threatens fragile ecosystems
Ukraine on the Brink: Kalush. Ecological Emergency Zone
