Fears Chernobyl radiation disaster is just HOURS away as Ukraine loses ALL contact with nuclear plant

UKRAINIAN authorities have lost all communications with the former nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, sparking fears of a major radiation leak within hours. It comes after power lines to the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster were damaged during fighting between Ukraine and Russia, leaving the plant relying on backup generators to prevent disaster. epaUkrainian forces have lost contact with Chernobyl[/caption] RexRussian forces seized the site last month[/caption] epaRussian troops in position at the former nuclear power plant[/caption] The UN’s nuclear watchdog the IAEA says Ukraine has told it that it has lost all communications with facilities at Chernobyl in the north of the country. Russian forces took the site in the opening days of the war. “Ukraine informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it had lost today all communications with the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the day after the Russian-controlled site lost all external power supplies,” the IAEA said in a statement. Previously, there had been contact by email, it added. Read more on Ukraine Authorities claim Ukraine’s nuclear plants are stable – but staff are under “psychological pressure”. Ukraine’s state nuclear agency Energoatom says that Ukraine’s power plants are operating as normal – but staff in Zaporizhzhia are under “psychological pressure” from Russian troops. Radiation levels at all plants had not changed, it added. “Employees of the station are under strong psychological pressure from the occupiers, all staff on arrival at the station are carefully checked by armed terrorists,” it said, referring to the Russian forces in Zaporizhzhia – Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant. Most read in News WAR CRIMES Live updates as chemical warfare equipment SEIZED from captured Russian troops SICK RAMPAGE Moment triple killer walks with pregnant victim before he raped & murdered her RUSSIA'S SHAME Russia accuses pregnant woman of FAKING injuries in pic that shocked world BLADE SHOCK Moment driver threatens warden with bread knife for clamping his Mercedes SITTING DUCKS Column of Putin's tanks destroyed & 'ANOTHER top commander killed in ambush' IT'S YACHT MINE Cops swarm mystery £532million superyacht rumoured to be Putin's “All this negatively affects work and endangers nuclear and radiation safety.” Ukraine’s state-run nuclear company Energoatom said a high-voltage power line was damaged in recent fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces after the plant was cut off from the national power grid. It warned “radioactive substances” could eventually be released if there was no power to cool down the spent nuclear fuel stored at the plant. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba previously said the backup diesel generators at the site only had enough power to keep the plant running for 48 hours. “After that, cooling systems of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel will stop, making radiation leaks imminent,” he said on Twitter. “I call on the international community to urgently demand Russia to cease fire and allow repair units to restore power supply.”