Situation at Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant triggers message from Pope

Pope Francis today called for "concrete steps" to be taken to avert a nuclear disaster at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant - which is currently under Russian occupation.

Speaking at his weekly general audience, the pontiff said he hopes that concrete steps will be taken to bring an end to the war and avert the risk of a nuclear disaster at Zaporizhzhya, Sky News reports.

The religious leader also condemned wars as "madness" and referred to the death of Darya Dugina, the daughter of prominent Russian ultra-nationalist Alexander Dugin, who was killed in a car bombing near Moscow on August 20.

"Innocents pay for the war, innocents," he said.

On Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it would visit the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant within days if talks to gain access succeed.

Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of firing at the facility, the largest of its kind in Europe after Russian forces seized control of the plant earlier this year.