IAEA says it's concerned now that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is under Russian command

• The International Atomic Energy Agency on Sunday said it's concerned about nuclear safety in Ukraine.
• In a statement, the IAEA said the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is now under Russian command.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is now under Russian command and the International Atomic Energy Agency said it is concerned.

In a statement on Sunday, the IAEA said that Ukraine needs to get approval from a Russian commander before they can do any management of the plant, including technical operations of its six reactor units.

"The Director General expressed grave concern about this development," the statement said, adding that it's going against one of the pillars of nuclear safety.

On Sunday, former US Under Secretary of Defense Michèle Flournoy told CNN's Jake Tapper that Russia was "extremely irresponsible" for shelling the Zaporizhzhia plant.

"My primary concern is the way they went about this, which was incredibly irresponsible, shelling a nuclear power plant," Flournoy said.

She added that it was "just by sheer luck that they didn't actually breach the containment structure and create a radioactive release. So they're being extremely irresponsible about this."

The IAEA statement added that "the operating staff must be able to fulfill their safety and security duties and have the capacity to make decisions free of undue pressure."

Additionally, the IAEA said Ukraine has said Russian forces switched off some of the mobile networks and internet so "that reliable information from the site cannot be obtained through the normal channels of communication."

Regulators said they're having trouble communicating with the plant. The IAEA said that regulators reported that phone lines, as well as email and faxes, were no longer working. While cellphone communication was still possible, it was poor quality.

"The deteriorating situation regarding vital communications between the regulator and the Zaporizhzhya NPP is also a source of deep concern, especially during an armed conflict that may jeopardize the country's nuclear facilities at any time. Reliable communications between the regulator and the operator are a critical part of overall nuclear safety and security," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.

The statement also said there have been issues communicating with the Chernobyl plant and that staff there have not rotated shifts since February 23.

"I call on those in effective control of the Chornobyl NPP to immediately allow staff there to rotate for the sake of safety and security," Grossi said.