Inspectors at Europe's largest nuclear plant are warning of a potential catastrophe. They say that power shutdowns and military attacks at the Zaporizhzhia complex in Ukraine are creating an "unsustainable" set of circumstances.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi posted a video about the situation on Friday.

He said, "A nuclear power plant can never be a pawn of war. Its fate must not be decided by military means. The consequence of such action are far too grave."

Grossi urged an immediate end to all shelling in the entire area. He repeated his call for establishing a nuclear safety zone.

On Monday, the plant was cut off from the power grid. Technicians have been relying on a single active reactor to keep the safety systems running. However, they are considering a plan to shut the reactor down and to have the plant run on diesel generators.

As the operators struggle to keep control of the complex, Russian troops are losing control on the battlefield.

Ukrainian officials say their forces have made significant advances in the eastern region of Kharkiv, which fell to the Russians in the early days of the invasion.

Ukraine's allies, including those in the US, say the fighting is at a "pivotal moment."

Even regional officials installed by the Russian government are admitting some setbacks, including Vitaly Ganchev, the Russia-appointed head of Kharkiv's government.

Ganchev said, "It would probably be irresponsible to say that they have not achieved any success at all. The very fact that they broke through our defensive line is a significant victory for them."

However, Russian defense officials say they are sending reinforcements. They released a video showing new troops moving into the area.