US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield stressed - Friday - that the Russian bombing of the largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine posed a "tremendous threat to all of Europe and the world", during an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.
"By the grace of God, the world narrowly escaped a nuclear catastrophe last night," she said, describing the attack as a reckless and very dangerous act.
"Not only has he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) ignored calls to stop his invasion of Ukraine, but we have just witnessed a new dangerous escalation that poses a grave threat to all of Europe and the world," she added.
"President Putin must stop this humanitarian catastrophe by ending the war and stop these senseless attacks against the people of Ukraine," she said, adding, "Mr. Putin must stop this madness, and stop it now."
During the UN Security Council meeting requested by the UK, British Ambassador Barbara Woodward stressed that there was no doubt that "Russian forces [that] attacked" the Zaporozhye site, which houses Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
"Attacks on nuclear sites are inconsistent with international human rights law," said Rosemary Di Carlo, the official in charge of the UN Department of Political Affairs.
An official at Energoatom, the Ukrainian state operator of nuclear plants, told Reuters that there was no further fighting, and that the radiation was normal, but the company was no longer in contact with the plant's management or control of the nuclear materials there.
For his part, Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, stressed - during a live video call from a plane on its way to Tehran - the "importance" of the nuclear power plants located in Ukraine, stressing that the station was not damaged by what is believed to be a Russian missile.
Only one of its six reactors was operating at about 60% of its capacity.
"I told both sides - the Russian Federation and Ukraine - that I am ready (...) to travel to Chernobyl as soon as possible," Grossi told reporters, adding that "both sides are studying" this possibility.
The attack on the Zaporozhye nuclear plant moved the conflict to a very dangerous place.
With the shells falling on the area, a fire broke out in a training building, sparking fears around the world, before the fire was extinguished and officials announced that the facility had become safe.
Zaporozhye station was attacked at dawn on Friday (Reuters)
Russia: We did not attack the Ukrainian nuclear site
On the other hand, the Russian delegate to the UN Security Council Vassily Nebenzia told the UN Security Council on Friday that Russia did not attack the Ukrainian nuclear site in Zaporozhye, which is a "false" accusation, accusing Ukraine of setting fire to this facility.
He said that accusing Russia of responsibility was "part of a campaign of lies" against Moscow.
Ukraine's envoy to the United Nations, Sergei Kiselesya, criticized his Russian counterpart, accusing him of spreading "lies", and said that Russian forces controlling the nuclear facility were refusing entry to Ukrainian inspectors.
For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the station was operating normally, and that it was under the control of its forces, and attributed the fire to a "brutal attack" by Ukrainian saboteurs.