The Ukraine president has said that the world needs to stand up to the "nuclear terror" from Vladimir Putin and stop the Russian army’s invasion.
The stark danger of fighting to take over strategic nuclear power plants was clear when a fire broke out at the largest facility in Europe and claims that an explosion would lead to a catastrophe “10 times worse than Chernobyl ”.
Fierce fighting has been taking place at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on Friday morning and there were claims from the Ukrainian authorities that firefighters were unable to put out a fire as they were being shot at.
Now Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that everyone in Europe needs to be worried about the threat from Putin and a nuclear disaster.
In his latest message to the West he said: "For the first time in our history, the history of mankind, the terrorist state has resorted to nuclear terror.
"Russian protagonists have threatened to cover the world with nuclear ashes, now it is not a threat, now it is a reality. We must stop the Russian military immediately.
"If there is an explosion, it is the end of everything, the end of Europe. It is the evacuation of Europe. Only immediate European action can stop Russian troops. Prevent the death of Europe from the nuclear disaster."
Zelenksy said that an explosion at the plant would be a catastrophe and much worse than that which happened at Chernobyl.
"It is a global catastrophe. Hundreds of thousands of people fought with its consequences, tens of thousands of people were evacuated," the president said of the Russian invasion.
He warned that the Russians are continuing to attack the nuclear plant.
He said: " Russia wants to do it again and is doing it again, six times more. Europeans, wake up, please.
"Tell your politicians Russian troops are shelling the nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Zaporizhzhya NPP, in Energodar. There are six power units, six! One power unit exploded in Chernobyl."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with Zelensky after news broke about the fire at Zaporizhzhia.
A Downing Street spokeswoman called the situation “gravely concerning”, adding: “Both leaders agreed that Russia must immediately cease its attack on the power station and allow unfettered access for emergency services to the plant.
“The Prime Minister said the reckless actions of President Putin could now directly threaten the safety of all of Europe. He said the UK would do everything it could to ensure the situation did not deteriorate further.
“The Prime Minister said he would be seeking an emergency UN Security Council meeting in the coming hours, and that the UK would raise this issue immediately with Russia and close partners.
“Both leaders agreed a ceasefire was crucial.”
A video feed from the plant southeast of the capital Kyiv appeared to show smoke and flames coming from an unidentified building.
There has been fierce fighting in the area about 342 miles southeast of Kyiv, the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar said in an online post. He said there had been casualties, without giving details.
"As a result of continuous enemy shelling of buildings and units of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is on fire," Mayor Dmytro Orlov said on his Telegram channel.
Russia has already captured the defunct Chernobyl plant, some 100 km north of Kyiv, which spewed radioactive waste over much of Europe when it melted down in the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986.
"Russian army is firing from all sides upon Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
"Fire has already broke out ... Russians must IMMEDIATELY cease the fire, allow firefighters, establish a security zone!"
Zaporizhzhia provides more than a fifth of the total electricity generated in Ukraine.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a tweet that it was "aware of reports of shelling" at the power plant and was in contact with Ukrainian authorities about situation.
As the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two enters its ninth day, thousands are thought to have died or been wounded, one million refugees have fled Ukraine and Russia's economy has been rocked by international sanctions.
The United States and UK announced sanctions on more Russian oligarchs on Thursday, following on from EU measures, as they ratcheted up the pressure on the Kremlin.
Sanctions have "had a profound impact already," US President Joe Biden said.
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" that is not designed to occupy territory but to topple the democratically elected government, destroy its neighbour's military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists. It denies targeting civilians.
