You're listening to shortwave from NPR.

Hi, there are short waivers.

It's Jeff Brumfield and Cat Lawnstorf.

And for the past month or so, we've been watching things get increasingly dicey at Europe's

largest nuclear plant.

Tonight, fears of a nuclear catastrophe at Europe's largest nuclear plant in Zaparicia,

Ukraine are intensifying.

There have been repeated strikes against the plant and both sides are blaming each other

for the shelling.

Ukraine and Western officials have accused Russian forces of using the complex to launch

attacks, leaving the Ukrainians unable to respond for fear of causing a disaster.

The world's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has gotten involved

and they're really worried.

A nuclear power plant can never be a pawn of war.

The consequences of such action are far too grave.

So today on the show, Cat fills us in from inside Ukraine on the precarious situation at the

Zaparicia nuclear power plant and helps us figure out how freaked out we should be about

what's going on there.

We're going to break down what we know so far and what the stakes are for Ukraine and the

entire world.

You're listening to shortwave, the Daily Science podcast from NPR.

By there, it's Jeff Brumfield again.

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