Russia preparing for nuclear war? CIA chief tells if there's evidence of this

“We do not see, as an intelligence community, practical evidence at this point of Russian planning for the deployment or even possible use of tactical nuclear weapons,” said Burns on foreign media.

Considering the kind of noise we've heard from the Russian leadership, we can't take those opportunities easily. So we stay very focused as intelligence service at those possibilities at a moment when the risk is too high for Russia,” he said.

Russia put nuclear forces on high alert shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on 24 February. Putin has also made secret threats, hinting at the willingness to deploy Russian nuclear tactical weapons.

Kremlin's chief has warned of a retaliatory “rapid fuel” if the West intervenes directly in the Ukrainian conflict.

Observers say that in recent days, Russian state television has tried to make the use of nuclear weapons more enjoyable to the public.