Nuclear threat has reached Cold War levels – IAEA

The world is facing a level of nuclear danger not seen since the Cold War. War has returned to Europe and the Middle East, and the multilateral mechanisms that underpin peace and security are under enormous strain. The modern nuclear arena is a fragile confrontation with more players, greater risks, and less clarity.

Rafael Grossi said this during a speech at the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in New York.

Grossi said that Russia’s war against Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East have increased pressure on the international mechanisms that underpin peace and security.

According to the IAEA Director General, the modern nuclear situation has become significantly more complex.

If previously world security was based on a relatively clear balance between several states, now there are more risks and less clarity due to the fragile confrontation with a larger number of states that have nuclear weapons, Grossi added.

Grossi noted that the international community is particularly concerned about the situation around Ukrainian nuclear facilities, in particular the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Any hostilities near nuclear infrastructure could have consequences far beyond the region.

Grossi emphasized that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons remains the main instrument of global stability, and the role of the IAEA is to monitor that nuclear materials are not used for military purposes.

“We are here today because we have one task: to ensure that the NPT and the IAEA remain strong not despite the current turmoil, but precisely because of it,” Grossi added in conclusion.

As a reminder, the number of victims in Sumy has increased as a result of a night attack by Russian drones. 15 residents of the city were injured. Among the injured are three children: girls aged 13, 15, and 17.

As “Pryamiy” reported, on the night of Wednesday, April 22, Russian occupation forces massively struck several regions of Ukraine with drones and other types of weapons. The Odessa, Zaporizhia, and Sumy regions were under attack.

It was also reported that on the night of April 20, Russian forces launched a massive attack on Ukraine, using 142 strike drones of various types. The Ukrainian Defense Forces involved aviation, air defense, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups.

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