NATO has warned member countries of possible Russian nuclear tests on the border with Ukraine to demonstrate their readiness to use weapons of mass destruction. It is reported by The Times, citing a senior defense source.
According to international experts, tests can take place in the Black Sea. Such a scenario is more likely than the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, since in the second case there are risks for Russia itself: in the event of an error, Russian cities may suffer, the source notes.
Earlier, during the announcement of a "partial" mobilization, Putin said that Western countries "push Kyiv to transfer military operations" to Russian territory and use "nuclear blackmail." He recalled that Russia has "various means of destruction" and promised that in the event of a threat, Moscow will use all the means at its disposal. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes that Putin's nuclear threats should be taken seriously. Politico, citing U.S. officials, reported that U.S. intelligence agencies and U.S. allies have stepped up efforts to detect any Russian military activity or messages that could indicate that Vladimir Putin ordered the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Military expert Sergei Grabsky said in a conversation with The Insider that the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin about the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons are nothing more than a bluff. There is a serious system of monitoring and control of all nuclear facilities, Grabsky specified. An expert on nuclear missiles, a former employee of the design bureau of the Southern Machine-Building Plant, Alexander Kochetkov, also claims that the United States and Great Britain will instantly receive information about the possible use of nuclear weapons by Russia, and it is impossible to hide the transportation of nuclear weapons.