A "catastrophe" at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine would threaten the whole of Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Monday.

"Under the cover of the plant, the occupiers are shelling nearby cities and communities," Zelensky said in his evening address.

"Any radiation incident at the Zaporizhzhia NPP can affect the countries of the European Union, Turkey, Georgia and countries from more distant regions. Everything depends solely on the direction and speed of the wind," he said.

"If Russia's actions cause a catastrophe, the consequences may also hit those who remain silent so far."

Zelensky called on the international community to adopt "new tough sanctions against Russia" and not to yield to "nuclear blackmail".

"All Russian troops must be immediately withdrawn from the plant and neighbouring areas without any conditions," he said.

The plant, Europe's biggest nuclear facility, was captured by Russian troops at the beginning of March, not long after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine.

Since the end of July, Zaporizhzhia has been the target of a number of military strikes, with both Moscow and Kyiv accusing each other of being behind the shelling.

The fighting at the plant was the subject of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council last Thursday.

Ukraine has accused Russia of using the plant as a base for possible attacks and for storing weapons.

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Ukraine nuclear plant standoff stirs Chernobyl memories
Vyschetarasivka, Ukraine (AFP) Aug 14, 2022
Anastasiya Rudenko clutches the gleaming gold medal her late husband Viktor was awarded for working in the Chernobyl nuclear disaster zone. He died in 2014 from bladder cancer - perhaps a result of radiation, she thinks. Now she mourns his loss in the Ukrainian village of Vyschetarasivka, across the river from the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant. Kiev and Moscow accuse each other of shelling near the facility. Rockets have struck a radioactive waste storage area and monitors warn of a "grave" c ... read more