UN warns 'all of humanity' is at risk from nuclear threat in Ukraine crisis

A United Nations chief has made a terrifying warning over the risk posed to ‘all of humanity’ by the increased nuclear threat created by the crisis in Ukraine.

Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet warned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ‘is generating massive impact on the human rights of millions of people’ across the country.

‘Elevated threat levels for nuclear weapons underline the gravity of the risks to all of humanity,’ she added.

The bleak warning came during an urgent council debate on the Ukraine conflict on Thursday and comes after Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, on Sunday, ordered Russia’s nuclear forces be put on high alert.

For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Western politicians of fixating on nuclear war.

It is clear that World War Three can only be nuclear,’ Mr Lavrov said in an online interview with Russian and foreign media.

‘I would like to point out that it’s in the heads of Western politicians that the idea of a nuclear war is spinning constantly, and not in the heads of Russians,’ he said.

Fears of nuclear disaster escalated overnight as Russian forces shelled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.

The power plant, in the southeastern city of Enerhodar, is the largest in Europe.

Russian forces hit the plant early this morning, setting off a fire and sparking fears of a disaster that could ‘directly threaten the safety of all of Europe’.

Concerns eased when Ukrainian authorities announced that the fire had been extinguished, and while there was damage to the reactor compartment, the safety of the unit was not affected.

After speaking with Ukrainian authorities, Rafael Grossi, the director general of the IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, said a building next to the reactors was hit and not a reactor itself.

‘All of the safety systems of the six reactors at the plant were not affected at all and there has been no release of radioactive material,’ he said.


‘However, as you can imagine, the operator and the regulator have been telling us that the situation naturally continues to be extremely tense and challenging.’

Earlier this week, Mr Grossi warned that the IAEA was ‘gravely concerned’ with Russian forces conducting military operations so close to the plant.

‘It is of critical importance that the armed conflict and activities on the ground around Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and any other of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities in no way interrupts or endangers the facilities or the people working at and around them,’ he said.

In the wake of the attack on Zaporizhzhia, U.S. president Joe Biden, Boris Johnson and others called for an immediate end to the fighting there.

Following a conversation with Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal, Mr Grossi appealed to all parties to ‘refrain from actions’ that could put Ukraine’s nuclear power plants in danger.


The UN has said one million people have fled Ukraine since Mr Putin’s assault on the nation started just over a week ago.

This amounts to more than 2% of Ukraine’s population, though some of those fleeing are citizens of other countries.

The UN human rights office has said at least 227 civilians have been killed and 525 wounded in Ukraine since the start of the invasion.

While Ukraine’s State Emergency Service has said more than 2,000 civilians have been killed, this claim has not been verified.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article

Previous post My son was murdered… and a psychic saw it all – now I want justice
Next post Startling photographs show how Ukraine's cities now resemble Syria