U.S. envoy to U.N. says world narrowly averted nuclear catastrophe in Russian assault

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The world narrowly averted a nuclear catastrophe overnight when a fire broke out during a Russian seizure of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations said on Friday, and demanded assurances from Moscow that such an assault will not happen again.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the attack reflected a “dangerous new escalation” in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and warned that “imminent danger” persisted, citing Russian troops whom she said were 20 miles (32 km) from Ukraine’s second largest nuclear facility.