Fears are growing that Russia could be considering using nuclear weapons in Ukraine as peace talks fail and strikes inside the country increase. Sources close to the Kremlin told Bloomberg that Vladimir Putin is determined to pursue a new escalation after negotiations reached a dead end. Russia continues to face mounting unprecedented attacks across the nation on oil and gas infrastructure, ports, and military sites.
If used, Russia would likely opt for tactical nuclear weapons, which are far less powerful than the bombs that flattened cities in Japan at the end of World War II.
CIA Director’s Visit to Moscow
A trip by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow this week was seen as a warning to the regime against any plan it may have to escalate the conflict. Ratcliffe is rumoured to have warned Putin against ‘testing NATO’s resolve’ by staging a limited attack in the Baltics.
Neither Washington nor Moscow commented on the nature of the visit, but in-person discussions between officials from the two nations are relatively rare.
Russia’s Drone Activity and Threats
Russia has launched a number of drones and covert UAVs towards the UK and Europe in recent years. The International Institute of Strategic Studies issued a sobering report in which they found Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet ships sent drones into Britain and Europe, targeting airports, bases, and nuclear sites.
The Kremlin has been quite outspoken about threats against multiple NATO nations, promising to nuke them on numerous occasions. Many of Putin’s propagandists have gone on television to issue threats directly to the United States and the United Kingdom.
Propagandist’s Warning
Dmitry Kiselyov previously warned that if a Western power deploys soldiers on the ground in Ukraine to ‘inflict a strategic defeat on Russia’, it would result in an Armageddon. Kiselyov said: ‘If Nato countries send their troops into Ukraine in order to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, then the very moment about which Putin once said, “Why do we need the world, if there is no Russia in it?” would come. Then everything [all types of missile] would be launched by us, in every direction – Sarmats [Satan-2s], Yars, and Avangards. American decision-making centres, and launchers on land and at sea are already in their sights. France as a nuclear power will have to be disarmed instantly. The British Isles will simply go under water. There are technologies for this… but it’s better not to let things get to that point.’
