Chernobyl nuclear plant loses contact with Ukraine government, safety agency says

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday sounded the alarm that all communications between the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Ukrainian government have been lost, one day after the site lost all external power.

An estimated 200 staff members at Chernobyl have been held hostage by invading Russian forces. They have been unable to rotate out since Russians seized the plant on Feb. 24, and a daughter of one of them told Fox News that staffers are getting fed just one small serving of porridge and bread a day.

Powerlines to Chernobyl were damaged and disconnected from the external grid, Ukraine's regulatory authority over the plant told the IAEA. The site has generators with enough fuel for two days. There are reports that power has been restored to the site, but the IAEA could not confirm this.

Employees are able to monitor the spent fuel pool without power, but the radiation safety conditions would become increasingly dangerous due to a lack of ventilation at the plant.

One reactor was destroyed at Chornobyl in the 1986 nuclear disaster, but the remaining three operated until 2000 and are still being shut down.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi held talks in Turkey on Thursday with the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Russia. They discussed the situations at the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plants, which are both under Russian control.

Zaporizhzhya is in need of repairs after heavy fighting and a fire in the facility. The IAEA reported Thursday that "it's not currently possible to deliver the necessary spare parts, equipment and specialized personnel to carry out planned repairs" at the plant.