4 minutes agoNew York Times: Russian military leaders have discussed using nuclear weapons
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)According to some senior American officials, Russian military leaders have recently held discussions about when and how Moscow can use nuclear tactical weapons in Ukraine, raising concerns in Washington and other Allied centres, reports The New York Times, Periscope. Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly does not [...]
Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly did not participate in these talks that took place against the growing rear of the Kremlin nuclear rhetoric and Russian failures on the battlefield, but the fact that senior Russian military leaders took part in such discussions disturbed the American President Joe Biden's administration.
Despite that, American officials said they have seen no evidence that Russia is moving nuclear weapons towards locations or taking tactical steps to prepare such an attack. The intelligence report about these talks circulated in the American Government in mid-October.
US officials did not describe the scenarios reviewed by Russian military leadership on the use of nuclear weapons. However, CIA Director William Burns had earlier indicated that “potential punishment” Putin's against losses in Ukraine and failures in war could push Russia towards use of nuclear weapons.
John Kirby, spokesman for the United States National Security Council, refused to comment on the “details of this report”.
According to the Pentagon's measurements, Russia owns up to 2,000 nuclear tactical weapons, aimed at using the battlefield to crush the enemy's armed forces. No nuclear tactical weapons have been used in war, but they can be shifted to any circumstances, including rockets and war grenades.
Nuclear tactical weapons have smaller powers and are ahead for short distance use than ICBM nuclear heads.
Military experts say the use of nuclear weapons -- for the first time in 75 years -- would radically change the nature of war. Although the effects of destruction would depend on many factors, including the size of the weapon and direction of the wind, even small nuclear explosions can kill thousands of people, and many parts of Ukraine would become uninhabited.
Until the risk of further passage remains extremely high, officials of the Biden Administration and United States allies say phone conversations between Russian and Western counterparts in the past month have helped reduce nuclear tensions. Putin's speech last Thursday, during which it denied that Moscow was preparing to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, further reduced tensions, according to some officials.
In Washington, administration officials say they still do not believe Putin plans the use of nuclear weapons, not even “uged bomb”. /Periscopi/
