The United Nations chief called Thursday for an immediate end to all military activity around Europe's largest nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, warning that any damage could lead to "catastrophic consequences" in the region and beyond.
Russian and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused each other of shelling the Zaporizhzhia plant and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued the statement ahead of a U.N. Security Council meeting Thursday afternoon. It was called by Russia to discuss what Moscow claims were Ukrainian attacks on the plant.
U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned that the situation was getting more perilous every day at Zaporizhzhia.