Russian forces have taken control of the staff at Europe's largest nuclear power plant and cut off their ability to communicate with Ukraine’s nuclear regulator.
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, located southeast of Kyiv, was originally seized by Russian troops Friday, Fox News reports.
“Ukraine reports that any action of plant management - including measures related to the technical operation of the six reactor units - requires prior approval by the Russian commander,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday.
“In a second serious development, Ukraine has reported that the Russian forces at the site have switched off some mobile networks and the internet so that reliable information from the site cannot be obtained through the normal channels of communication.”
Phone lines, emails and the fax machine were no longer functioning on Sunday and mobile phone communications were poor.
The IAEA accused Russia of violating critical safety guidelines governing nuclear plants, including that "operating staff must be able to fulfill their safety and security duties and have the capacity to make decisions free of undue pressure," and that there must be "reliable communications with the regulator and others."
