Ukraine Official Warns World Russia's Nuclear Weapons Will 'Touch Everyone On Our Planet'

A top Ukrainian official has warned that Russia's nuclear war would impact people across the world as the invasion of Ukraine nears its one-year mark.

Speaking in an interview on CTV's Question Period aired Sunday, the mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko stressed that it is a "huge mistake" for people living outside of Ukraine to think Russia's invasion does not affect them.

"Please don't forget, we're talking about nuclear weapons," he said in the interview. "An explosion could touch everyone on our planet, and that is why we have to do everything we can to stop this war."

Klitschko also said Ukraine is not just fighting against Russia to defend itself, adding that it is also fighting for every country that shares its democratic values. To do so, Klistscho said they need more weapons to fight against Russian forces and stop the war. He further said that how quickly they can end the conflict depends on the support they receive from other countries.

"We need the help. We need much more weapons," the Kyiv mayor said.

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, in what Russian President Vladimir Putin called a "special military operation" with the aim of "demilitarizing" and "de-Nazifying" Kyiv. Since then, at least 7,199 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, including 438 children, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

In addition to the deaths, at least 11,756 Ukrainian civilians have been wounded throughout the 12-month conflict. The OHCHR noted that the actual figures are likely considerably higher as reporting is delayed in areas where there are intense hostilities.

Ukraine is currently preparing for a new offensive from Russia, which according to some experts, has already begun in the eastern part of Ukraine as tens of thousands of Moscow's conscripts arrive in the country.

"The reality is we have seen the start [of a Russian offensive] already because we see now what Russia does now -- President Putin does now -- is to send thousands and thousands more troops, accepting a very high rate of casualty," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said last week.

Some experts argue that the recent waves of Russian conscripts are not the full-scale offensive expected of Russia, adding that the operation is likely still in its early phase.