THE Russian shelling of the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia could “directly threaten the safety of all of Europe”, says Boris Johnson.

The city contains the largest nuclear power station in Europe and it caught fire after it was attacked by Russia.

While the reactor is under renovation, it still contains nuclear fuel.

A spokeswoman for the PM’s office said: "Both leaders agreed that Russia must immediately cease its attack on the power station and allow unfettered access for emergency services to the plant.

"The Prime Minister said the reckless actions of President Putin could now directly threaten the safety of all of Europe.

"He said the UK would do everything it could to ensure the situation did not deteriorate further.

"The Prime Minister said he would be seeking an emergency UN Security Council meeting in the coming hours, and that the UK would raise this issue immediately with Russia and close partners.

"Both leaders agreed a ceasefire was crucial."

Ukrainian emergency services announced that the fire had been extinguished and that it was in the educational and training building of the plant.

Nobody was injured and the shelling did not change the radiation level in the building has not changed or damaged any essential equipment.

Russian forces have since seized the power plant.

Earlier in the night, the plant’s spokesman Andriy Tuz told Ukrainian television that shells were falling directly on the Zaporizhzhia plant and had set fire to one of the facility’s six reactors.

Firefighters could not get near the fire because they were being shot at, Mr Tuz said.

The director general of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mariano Grossi,  pleaded "for halt of use of force and warns of severe danger if reactors hit".

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This incident comes ahead of crisis talks between Western ministers as Vladimir Putin steps up his assault on Ukraine’s cities.

Liz Truss will join fellow foreign ministers from Nato and the European Union for a series of meetings in Brussels as the allies show their support for Ukraine.

Meanwhile Home Secretary Priti Patel is visiting Poland’s border with Ukraine to highlight the visas on offer to those fleeing the conflict who have relations in Britain.

Ms Truss will attend the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, as a special guest along with counterparts from the US, Canada and Ukraine as well as a special meeting of Nato foreign ministers and holding talks with counterparts from the G7 group.

Ms Truss said it was “one of the biggest days of diplomacy” with allies prepared to “tighten the vice around Putin’s war machine” by targeting the Russian economy with sanctions.

So far talks to end the conflict have been in vain as Western leaders fear that there will soon be an overwhelming assault on Ukraine’s major cities.