CIA chief: Risk of Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine was real
Photo: Russian tactical nuclear weapons on parade in Moscow (Getty Images)
In 2022, there was a real risk of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine. This occurred during the Ukrainian Armed Forces' autumn counteroffensive, states CIA Director William Burns at the FT Festival in London, according to The Telegraph.
He noted that the sudden breakthrough by Ukrainian Armed Forces in northeastern Ukraine raised concerns that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin might resort to extreme measures, which in turn sparked a surge in diplomatic activity.
“There was a moment in the fall of 2022 when I think there was a genuine risk of a potential use of tactical nuclear weapons,” Burns said during his first conversation with the head of British foreign intelligence, MI6.
He added that US President Joe Biden sent him to speak with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Naryshkin, at the end of 2022 to make it absolutely clear what the consequences of such escalation would be.
In November 2022, Burns traveled to Ankara, Turkey, to meet Naryshkin in the first face-to-face meeting between senior officials from the two countries since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“He is conveying a message on the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia, and the risks of escalation to strategic stability,” the White House said at the time.
The Telegraph reported that in October 2022, concerns arose about a possible Russian attack after Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu claimed that Ukraine was preparing to use a radioactive "dirty bomb."
At that time, Kremlin media began reporting that Kyiv was gathering nuclear materials for use on the battlefield in a "dirty bomb" or "low-yield nuclear weapon."
In response, the UK immediately dismissed these accusations, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that it was clear Russia was planning an attack using a "dirty bomb."
As a reminder, in June 2024, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the Alliance was discussing the deployment of more nuclear weapons due to the growing threat from Russia and China.
