'Nuclear war probability is rising': Elon Musk flags concern amid Russia-Ukraine conflict

As Ukraine's military forces continue to push Russia back aggressively, Elon Musk believes that this is increasing the likelihood of a nuclear war. "Nuclear war probability is rising rapidly," said Musk in reply to a Twitter user who claims that there is a one-in-six chance of a global nuclear war. On the contrary, a recently released US intelligence report said that there is no evidence of Russian President Vladimir Putin planning to nuke Ukraine.

Musk is currently under fire for his recent Twitter poll where he called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, which drew flak from several experts as well as Ukrainian authorities. While the tech billionaire, who said he is "not a fan of World War III", was labelled pro-Russia for his suggestion, he said that he is still very much on Ukraine's side. Musk even tweeted earlier in the day that he has "been up all night trying to think of any possible way to de-escalate this war."

Putting forth another reason for de-escalation, Musk had even said that victory for Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is "unlikely" if Putin decides to order full mobilisation since Russia's population is three times greater than Ukraine's.

Will the Russia-Ukraine war turn nuclear?

Although Pentagon has claimed to have found no evidence about Putin's plan on using nuclear weapons on Ukraine, the US is making preparations if Russia decides to go nuclear. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the US has spent $290 million to purchase anti-radiation drugs after Putin's threat to the West. Named Nplate, the drug, according to Joe Biden's plan, will be used to treat acute radiation syndrome (ARS) during radiological and nuclear emergencies. Many also believe that Ukraine's recent attack on the $3.6 billion bridge linking Crimea to mainland Russia might also add fuel to the fire. 

Moreover, Russia recently claimed its right in Ukraine's Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, along with the Donbas region and it will use nuclear weapons to protect the captured areas, Putin has threatened. Calling Putin a "monster", Zelenskyy recently said that the former might "destroy the planet" but stated that he would not resort to such an extreme measure.