A view of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Photo: Stringer/AFP via Getty Images
Russian forces have detained the leader of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, according to Energoatom, the company that runs the station.
Why it matters: The detained director, Ihor Murashov, maintains nuclear and radiation safety for the plant, which has been a subject of concern amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Details: Petro Kotin, the president of the company Energoatom, said in a Telegram post that Murashov was arrested while on his way into the nuclear power station.
- He was covered by a blindfold and driven to an unknown location, Kotin said.
- Kotin called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to secure Murashov's release.
- “His detention by the ruscists jeopardizes the safety of operation of Ukraine and Europe’s largest nuclear power plant,” Kotin said.
The big picture: There has been international concern about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant's safety since there has been heavy shelling outside of it between Russia and Ukraine.
- Both Russia and Ukraine have tossed accusations about threatening stability at the station.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was using the plant as a "nuclear weapon."
Go deeper: Nuclear watchdog warns of possible disaster in Ukraine