Russia rotates staff from Chernobyl nuclear plant one month after seizure

Russian forces occupying the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Monday allowed the facility staff to rotate out nearly one month after taking over the facility.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced via Twitter that the Ukrainian national nuclear regulator had confirmed the change in personnel at the plant.

Russian forces have controlled the Chernobyl power plant since Feb. 24. Roughly 200 staff members became hostages following the occupation, which also prompted temporary power losses at the site and reported rises in radiation levels.

Chernobyl lies in the North of the Ukraine near the Belarusian border from which the Russian army launched its invasion late last month.

Both the city and the plant bear infamy due to the nuclear disaster of 1986 which saw the destruction of one of the plant's reactors.

The city itself remains partially abandoned while nearby Pripyat became a ghost town in the wake of the disaster, spawning countless films, songs, literature, and games, including a prominent appearance in 2007's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.