UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned any potential damage to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe’s biggest, would be “suicide” as he and the presidents of Turkey and Ukraine discussed ways to secure the plant, and Ukraine’s president agreed to parameters for a potential visit to the facility.

Speaking in Lviv in western Ukraine, Guterres told the media he was “gravely concerned” at the situation around the facility that has seen repeated shelling in recent weeks.

“Military equipment and personnel should be withdrawn from the plant. Further deployment of forces or equipment to the site must be avoided. The area needs to be demilitarised. We must tell it like it is - any potential damage to Zaporizhzhia is suicide”, - said Guterres.

The UN secretary-general, Ukrainian President and Turkey’s President were meeting amid growing fears of a nuclear catastrophe over the repeated shelling of the plant.