Putin isn’t involved in discussions about nuclear strikes on Ukraine

WASHINGTON — Whether Russia will use nuclear weapons against Ukraine in the coming months remains an unknown quantity. The New York Times writes that the White House still does not believe that the Kremlin will take such a step. Yes, the rhetoric and pulling out the “nuclear weapon” card happened almost immediately after the war started. Fact. It only took a few weeks for Moscow to bring its nuclear forces to full combat readiness. A message to the West and specifically to Washington – “don’t enter Ukraine”.

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Ukraine has been fighting against the Russian invasion for over eight months. Not a day goes by without talk of nuclear weapons. It is often mentioned in Western reports about Russian actions. Such happened nearly a month ago when intelligence data emerged that Moscow was preparing a nuclear weapon test. The Poseidon nuclear torpedo was in the mouth of experts after it became clear that NATO radars lost the location of the Belgorod nuclear submarine. This submarine is designed to carry up to six Poseidon torpedoes.

In recent days, Moscow has once again put the “nuclear weapon” in people’s mouths. This time he is trying to reverse the direction of the source – Ukraine will be the country that will use the “dirty bomb”. Even Russia accuses Pakistan of helping Ukraine develop a dirty bomb.

There is a reason to pay attention to comments and talk about the use of nuclear weapons. Although according to the NYT, Washington does not believe that Moscow will go to this extreme of war, the Pentagon continues to monitor actions and statements. “We have made it clear from the outset that Russia’s comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are deeply troubling and we take them seriously,” Pentagon spokesman Mr. John Kirby said. “We continue to monitor this as best we can, and we see no indication that Russia is preparing for such an application.”

The latest “nuclear talks” were just a few days ago, according to the NYT, citing senior US officials. Senior Russian military officials have had or continue to discuss the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine. The very fact that there are “YES” and “NO” among them is worrisome because it speaks of division on the subject, not unanimity. Such as the Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin has repeatedly mentioned. “Russia will not use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. We will use nuclear weapons only to protect our territorial integrity.”

Yes, but the Russian president was not present at the last talks. He did not participate in this discussion and his opinion was not taken into account. It is Putin’s absence from the recent talks that is testing Washington more than before. Is this a mini-coup among the generals of the Russian Legion, or was Putin simply preoccupied with other activities? This is a claim published in Western media that rely on sources. The truth of such a statement is very difficult to prove.

However, the Pentagon hastened to calm down – there is no evidence in recent weeks that Russia is moving the location of its nuclear tactical arsenal. The intelligence community also confirmed that they saw no tactical moves that would indicate Moscow was preparing to use a nuclear arsenal.

A distinction must be made between tactical nuclear weapons and nuclear bombs, hypersonic nuclear missiles, and intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles. A tactical nuclear weapon has less power than any listed so far. It is used for short distances, such as the front in Ukraine. Such a weapon has never been used in hostilities. These are mini-nuclear warheads on cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles, and artillery shells.

Washington claims Moscow has more than 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons. Yes, the range and damage of these weapons are more limited than the nuclear weapons we know and mentioned above. But American experts say these facts do not eliminate the destructive power and aftermath of a tactical nuclear weapon detonation. Although the resulting destruction will depend on many factors, including the size of the weapon and the direction of the winds, even a small nuclear explosion could kill thousands of people and render parts of Ukraine uninhabitable.

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