• If we remain silent, we are playing with a loaded gun.” – Adi Roche.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists have moved the ‘Doomsday Clock’ to 89 seconds to Midnight, the closest it has ever been since 1945, citing war in Ukraine as a key reason why humanity is in a time of ‘unprecedented danger’.  This metaphorical measure of humanity’s risk moved to 90 seconds to Midnight in 2023 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, however it has now been determined that the world is now at an even higher risk of existential crisis, with the weaponisation of nuclear power in Ukraine cited as one of the reasons.

Founded by Albert Einstein and University of Chicago scientists who developed the first atomic weapons, the Clock is a universally recognised indicator of the world’s profound vulnerability to nuclear weapons, climate change and disruptive technologies. The closer to midnight the Clock is set, the greater the existential danger.

Speaking in response to Tuesday’s development, Adi Roche of Chernobyl Children International (CCI) expressed grave concern at the increasingly precarious situation in Ukraine and the nuclear threat as a result of the ongoing instability and occupation of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant;

“The Doomsday Clock is a diagnosis of our reality and hopefully will be a wake-up-call and a call-to-action for discussions for peace in Ukraine.   With the continued occupation and escalating crisis at Zaporizhzhia, we are on a knife-edge.  It is an untenable situation as the risk of a nuclear explosion, by accident or design, is dangerously high.  We are on the precipice of a humanitarian Armageddon.”

 “This weaponising of nuclear power, which began at Chernobyl and continued onwards to Zaporizhzhia, signifies to the world that the nature of modern warfare has changed forever, and brings with it a sense of foreboding for wars of the future.” Roche continued.

“Despite the wake-up-call with the move closer to midnight, I hope that it galvanises world leaders to action in order that we can reverse the clock.  Let us propel ourselves forward with the power of human intervention and leadership to ensure the reversal of the Doomsday Clock.”