There is a major risk of a massive radiation leak across eastern Europe after an electrical grid near Chernobyl nuclear power plant became "damaged", it has been claimed.
Russian forces have disconnected the plant n from the national grid igniting fear at the site, according to Ukraine's government.
The lack of power at Chernobyl risks is also sending radioactive substances into the air.
Systems monitoring nuclear material at the radioactive waste facilities at Chernobyl in Ukraine, which were taken over by Russian forces last month.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned on Twitter that: "The only electrical grid supplying the Chornobyl NPP and all its nuclear facilities occupied by Russian army is damaged. CNPP lost all electric supply. I call on the international community to urgently demand Russia to cease fire and allow repair units to restore power supply.
"Reserve diesel generators have a 48-hour capacity to power the Chornobyl NPP. After that, cooling systems of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel will stop, making radiation leaks imminent. Putin’s barbaric war puts entire Europe in danger. He must stop it immediately!"
The State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine explained: "Kyiv high-voltage line is currently disconnected due to the damage caused by the occupiers.
"As a result, the Chernobyl station and all nuclear facilities in the Exclusion Zone are without electricity.
"About 20,000 spent fuel assemblies are stored in the spent nuclear fuel storage facility-1. They need constant cooling. Which is possible only if there is electricity. If it is not there, the pumps will not cool. As a result, the temperature in the holding pools will increase.
After that evaporation will occur, that will lead to nuclear discharge. The wind can transfer the radioactive cloud to other regions of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and Europe. In addition, there is no ventilation inside the facility."
