Putin's nuclear threats move 'Doomsday Clock' closest ever to Armageddon, atomic scientists say

Key Points

• The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced that it has moved its metaphorical Doomsday Clock closer than ever to midnight.
• Experts said the chief driver of the unparalleled threat level this year was Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Russian President Vladimir Putin's thinly veiled threat to deploy nuclear weapons in the conflict.
• "Even if nuclear use is avoided in Ukraine, the war has challenged the nuclear order" that has governed global nuclear weapons stockpiles for the past 60 years, said Dr. Steven Fetter.

The 2023 Doomsday Clock is displayed before a live-streamed event with members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on January 24, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images

WASHINGTON The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced Tuesday that it has moved its metaphorical Doomsday Clock closer than ever to midnight, the hypothetical hour of Armageddon, reflecting experts' assessment that humanity is confronting unprecedented threats to its existence.