The Secret Military Base Hidden in Chernobyl’s Irradiated Forest

April 26, 2016 marks the 30th anniversary of one of mankind’s most catastrophic events: the explosion at Chernobyl’s reactor number four.

Recent years have seen Ukrainian authorities allowing intrepid visitors into the Exclusion Zone to see side effects of the disaster. But while the abandoned town of Pripyat, receives the most attention, there is an even more mysterious site hidden in the irradiated forest.

Luke Spencer ventured deep into the forests of the Exclusion Zone for Atlas Obscura, to explore the derelict and awe-inspiring military base known as Duga-3.