The International Atomic Energy Agency is warning of a potential nuclear disaster at Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest nuclear plant. Ukraine and Russia are accusing each other of attacking the nuclear site twice since Friday. Russia, which has occupied the plant since early March, said shelling by Ukrainian forces could have “catastrophic consequences” for Europe. Ukraine claims it was Russian forces who carried out missile strikes on the nuclear plant in an effort to disconnect it from Ukraine’s electrical grid. Local residents called for an end to fighting near the site, which is home to six nuclear reactors and thousands of tons of highly radioactive materials.

Volodymyr Martynyuk: “As city residents, we call on the Russian army and the Ukrainian Armed Forces to avoid open fighting in the area around Enerhodar and within a 20-kilometer zone around the nuclear power plant. We’re talking about the safety of the entire planet, not just about the safety of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia and nearby foreign countries.”