Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Tuesday (April 25) that the Russian capture of the notorious Chernobyl nuclear plant was 'abnormal and dangerous' after troops dug up trenches and risked power failure at one of the world's most radioactive sites.

But he reported the heightened radiation around the plant appeared to have returned to expected levels, almost one month after Russian troops evacuated the area in northern Ukraine.

Kremlin forces captured the facility on February 24, the day of the invasion.

The Chernoybl nuclear power facility, officially the Vladimir Lenin Nuclear Power Plant, is a closed nuclear power plant located near the abandoned city of Pripyat in northern Ukraine, was the site of what is regarded as the worst nuclear disaster in 1986.

Drone footage released by the Ukrainian government on April 5 claims to show Russian trenches dangerously close to the Chernobyl nuclear reactor.

Chernobyl Reactor drone video