Robert Mardini, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, has warned that fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant must be halted immediately before a "massive incident" causes a humanitarian catastrophe.
"In the event of a nuclear leak, it will be difficult if not impossible to provide humanitarian assistance...and this is why fighting should stop," Mardini told a news conference on September 1 during a visit to Ukraine.
"It is therefore time to stop playing with fire and instead take concrete measures to protect this facility, and others like it, from military any operations.... The slightest miscalculation could trigger devastation that we will regret for decades," he added.
Moscow and Kyiv blame each other for shelling around Europe's largest nuclear power station, which Russian troops took control of shortly after invading Ukraine in late February. Ukrainian engineers have been allowed to continue operating the plant, under Russian supervision.
SEE ALSO: IAEA Chief Says Inspectors Will Stay At Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant For Several DaysExperts from the International Atomic Energy Agency were on their way to visit the plant early on September 1 despite ongoing shelling. The mission is set to assess physical damage to the plant, determine the functionality of safety and security systems, evaluate staff conditions and perform urgent safeguards activities.
"The scenario could be a massive incident, and...there is very little anyone can do to mitigate the dire consequences of this," Mardini said.