Newsletters
Russia may eventually use tactical nuclear weapons as a last resort in Ukraine, according to a Bloomberg report citing people close to the Kremlin, who said a growing number of Russian officials have raised the possibility as peace talks with Kyiv reach a deadlock.
The sources also said Moscow is preparing to intensify ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine, including on central Kyiv, and on infrastructure targets in other cities.
The report is based on accounts from three people close to the Kremlin, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
According to the sources, efforts to negotiate an end to the war have effectively broken down, with both sides now back at square one. They said Putin has no intention of ending the conflict under pressure from Western sanctions or from Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and logistics networks.
The sources described a shift in how Moscow characterizes Ukrainian strikes on its energy and logistics infrastructure. Russia increasingly views these attacks as effectively originating from NATO, the people said, since alliance members provide Kyiv with weapons and intelligence. They added that the current level of hostilities does not represent the peak of possible military escalation.
Four people close to the Kremlin said that, absent renewed diplomatic engagement, Russian leadership sees few options other than further escalation to achieve its military objectives.
Russian officials are hoping that a visit by representatives of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, will bring new proposals to Moscow. However, the sources said expectations for a diplomatic breakthrough from that visit are low.
Bloomberg reported that the volume of chatter from hawkish voices advocating tactical nuclear use has increased recently, and that an extreme response is viewed inside Moscow as possible because, for Putin, the only outcome worse than a prolonged war would be losing it outright.
The outlet added that there is currently no indication Russia is preparing to actually fire nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Tactical nuclear weapons, unlike the larger strategic warheads associated with intercontinental deterrence, are generally lower-yield devices designed for use against military targets on a battlefield rather than for mass destruction of cities. Russia's nuclear doctrine has periodically been the subject of international scrutiny since the war began in February 2022, though no nuclear weapon has been used in the conflict to date.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
