  On 25th February 2022, increased gamma radiation dose rates were reported
within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). This coincided with Russian military
vehicles entering the Ukrainian part of the CEZ from neighbouring Belarus. It
was speculated that contaminated soil resuspension by vehicle movements or a
leak from the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) complex may explain these
spikes in radiation dose rates. The gamma dose rate monitoring network in the
CEZ provides a crucial early warning system for releases of radioactivity to
the environment and is part of the international safeguards for nuclear
facilities. With the potential for further military action in the CEZ and
concerns over nuclear safety, it is essential that such anomalous readings are
investigated. We evaluate the hypotheses suggested to explain the apparent
gamma dose rate increases, demonstrating that neither military vehicle-induced
soil resuspension nor a leak from the ChNPP are plausible. However, disruption
of the Chornobyl base-station's reception of wireless signals from the CRMS
network may potentially explain the dose rate increases recorded.
