Russian officials believe Putin could launch nuclear strike on Ukraine, media reports
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
The Kremlin does not rule out further escalation of the war, and some officials are already considering the possibility of using nuclear weapons as a last resort, Bloomberg reports.
According to sources close to the Kremlin, the intensification of the fighting is leading more Russian officials to believe that Russian leader Vladimir Putin could at some point consider using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
This is seen as a last-resort scenario. There are currently no signs that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons. However, according to Bloomberg, Moscow is increasingly discussing possible ways to further escalate the war.
Russia discusses nuclear scenario
The risk of Russia using nuclear weapons has long been one of the main concerns among Western officials. Putin has repeatedly used nuclear rhetoric during the full-scale war "to intimidate Ukraine’s western allies into reducing support for its defense."
"An extreme response is viewed as possible because the only outcome worse than continuing the war for Putin would be losing it," Bloomberg writes.
Tactical nuclear weapons differ from strategic ones in having a shorter range and lower yield. They are designed for use on the battlefield, but an explosion and the resulting radioactive contamination could have far-reaching consequences.
Why a nuclear strike is still considered unlikely
Despite these concerns, experts see no signs that Russia is preparing to take such a step.
Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former national security adviser to three US presidents, believes Putin is still testing how far he can go in his confrontation with the West.
She said this is why coordinated action by Ukraine’s allies and consistent diplomatic pressure remain important.
Meanwhile, Alexander Gabuev, Berlin-based director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, considers the risk of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons extremely low.
In his view, such weapons have limited military value on today’s dispersed battlefield, while the political cost of breaking the nuclear taboo would be extremely high.
"As long as Moscow has room to escalate with conventional weapons, including by intensifying missile strikes, it has little incentive to cross the nuclear threshold," Gabuev said.
At the same time, Russia is considering stepping up ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine, including against Kyiv and infrastructure in other cities.
According to Bloomberg, the Kremlin believes peace talks have reached a dead end and that diplomatic efforts have so far failed to deliver the outcome Moscow wants.
