NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that the coming days in Ukraine "are likely to be worse" than up to that point following Russia's unprovoked attack on the country.
Speaking at an emergency meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Stoltenberg said "the days to come are likely to be worse, with more death, more suffering, and more destruction," CBS News reported.
The NATO chief also rejected calls for a "no-fly zone" over Ukraine, citing the risk of escalation with Russia.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Western partners to implement a no-fly zone since Moscow's invasion started nine days ago.
"We understand the desperation," Stoltenberg said, "but we also believe that if we did that, we would end up with something that could lead to a full-fledged war in Europe, involving much more countries and much more suffering."
Stoltenberg added that NATO had bolstered its eastern flank, and would work more closely with Finland and Sweden, two NATO partners but not formal allies, The Washington Post reported.
The secretary general also said NATO members will offer additional support for nonmember countries — such as Georgia, Moldova, and Bosnia-Herzegovina — that might feel vulnerable to Russian aggression.
Earlier Friday, Russian troops that took control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant were laying down explosives to "blackmail" the entire continent, plant workers warned.
The Zaporizhzhia plant, located in southeastern Ukraine, was shelled by Russian forces early Friday, sparking a fire as they pressed their attack. The fire eventually was extinguished.
"They will be trying to mine the nuclear power plant and blackmail the whole of Europe," Zaporizhzhia employees wrote in a message to Ukrainian media and government authorities.
The workers warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces were "putting explosive materials near the buildings of the nuclear plant to provide pressure on the Ukrainian army, people."
It was reported Thursday that Russia has drawn up plans, which include public executions, to discourage Ukrainians from fighting back against Putin's forces, a European intelligence official said.
Bloomberg reported that the Kremlin had developed methods to break morale among Ukrainians fighting for their liberty following Russia's unprovoked attack.
Moscow's strategy, to be used after Russian troops take control of a city, included crackdowns on protests, detention of opponents, and potentially carrying out public executions, the official told Bloomberg.
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