A nuclear tragedy could be “dangerously close,” according to the UN’s top nuclear watchdog. 

“Let me put it plainly–two years of war are weighing heavily on nuclear safety at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” said Rafael Mariana Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “…Reckless attacks must cease immediately.”

Zaporizhzhia is a small town at the edge of Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine, home to Europe’s largest nuclear plant of the same name. The plant once employed 11,000 workers and provided power to seven countries, but since coming under Russian control, five of its six reactors have remained in cold shutdown. Only one remains partly operational, supplying power to the plant and nearby town.

Many locals and Ukrainian plant workers allege abuse, unsafe working conditions, and even torture by Russian authorities, all of which has caused mounting stress and suffering while leaving the plant vulnerable to human error.