As Japan commemorated the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima the country’s prime minister lashed out at Russian threats to deploy nuclear weapons.

Days before the end of World War II, on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively, the US detonated atomic bombs on the two Japanese cities, killing approximately 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 in Nagasaki.

“Japan, as the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings in war, will continue efforts towards a nuclear-free world,” said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a ceremony in Hiroshima on Sunday.

“The path towards it is becoming increasingly difficult because of deepening divisions in the international community over nuclear disarmament and Russia’s nuclear threat.”

The mayor of Hiroshima termed the G7 leaders’ idea of nuclear deterrence a “folly” while speaking at the ceremonies and urged the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Additionally, a peace bell rang on Sunday at 8:15am, which was the moment the bomb was detonated, while the outdoor memorial ceremony drew some 50,000 attendees, including elderly survivors, who observed a moment of silence as the temperature soared to 30°C (86°F).

On the same day the world’s first nuclear assault was commemorated, Russian leaders suggested using nuclear weapons against Ukraine. However, according to Western sources, there is no proof that Russia is planning such an attack, The Guardian reported.

“Leaders around the world must confront the reality that nuclear threats now being voiced by certain policymakers reveal the folly of nuclear deterrence theory,” said the Hiroshima mayor, Kazumi Matsui.

Meanwhile, the Japanese prime minister claimed that despite Russia’s nuclear threats making the path to a world free of nuclear weapons more difficult, it is still crucial to rekindle global momentum in that direction.

The UN secretary general, António Guterres, expressed his support.

“World leaders have visited this city, seen its monuments, spoken with its brave survivors, and emerged emboldened to take up the cause of nuclear disarmament,” he said in remarks read by a UN representative. “More should do so, because the drums of nuclear war are beating once again.”

The bomb, dubbed “Little Boy,” was dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, killing thousands instantly and about 140,000 by the end of the year. Japan surrendered on 15 August.