Energy Minister of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko has appealed to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm with a request to prevent a nuclear catastrophe and close the flight zone over Ukraine in connection with the shelling of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant by the Russian army.

"I have just had an urgent telephone conversation with U.S. Secretary of Energy, Ms. Jennifer Granholm. I informed that Russian troops were shelling the Zaporizhia NPP from the air and tanks. There is a fire at the station and this could be the greatest disaster in the history of mankind! Invaders do not let firefighters into the station. I asked to prevent a nuclear catastrophe and close the flight zone over Ukraine," the minister wrote on his Facebook page on Friday night.