According to the New York Times, US sources revealed that Russian army chiefs had discussed using tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, raising concerns in Washington and among Western allies.
They also stressed that the statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin using the nuclear were not just threats, noting that the failures of the Russian forces on the ground in some areas of Ukraine may accelerate the use of nuclear.
However, US officials who stated intelligence information had reached the administration of President Biden in mid -October, had not offered any evidence that Russia was planning for a tactical nuclear weapons strike.
While a radiant “dirty bomb” is not a nuclear weapon in and of itself, it can be imagined for use in a fake attack as a pretext for the Russian nuclear escalation, according to Defense Secretary Sergey Shoigu, who spoke to his western counterparts last week.
But on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured the public that his country was not preparing a nuclear assault on Ukraine following a nuclear training exercise.
Putin has repeatedly threatened to deploy nuclear weapons throughout Russia’s seven-month conflict with Ukraine (and even earlier).
According to the Union of American Scholars, based on the quantity of nuclear warheads it possesses—5977 as opposed to 5428—Russia has the greatest nuclear force in the world.
The American military has roughly 200 tactical nuclear weapons, half of which are stationed in locations in Italy, Germany, Turkey, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The Russian military also has about 2000 tactical nuclear weapons operationally.
US officials: Putin’s nuclear discussion goes beyond mere threats
About Author
