The UN has said the situation around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear station has become “increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous” as Moscow-installed officials began evacuating people from nearby areas.
The head of the UN’s nuclear power watchdog called for measures to ensure the safe operation of Europe’s largest nuclear plant as evacuations were underway in the nearby town of Enerhodar.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said: “We must act now to prevent the threat of a severe nuclear accident and its associated consequences for the population and the environment."
While the reports could not be independently verified, the Russian-installed governor of the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region said on Friday that he had ordered the evacuation of villages close to the front line as shelling had intensified in the area in recent days.
According to The Kyiv Independent, Russian troops have attacked Zaporizhzhia Oblast 75 times over the last day.
It comes as Ukraine’s air force claimed to have downed a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly-acquired American Patriot defence systems.
