VLADIMIR Putin could use a tactical nuke on Ukraine as the desperate tyrant scrambles to end the war, a growing number of Russians believe.
The embattled dictator is reportedly preparing to intensify conventional missile attacks on Ukraine after peace talks have reached a dead end.
Vladimir Putin may resort to using a tactical nuke on Ukraine, a growing number of Russians fear Credit: Alamy
The dictator has flexed his nuclear arsenal over the years Credit: AFP
Putin will not back down despite being squeezed by sanctions and withstanding painful strikes on Russia‘s power grid, sources close to the Kremlin told Bloomberg.
Escalating attacks between Moscow and Kyiv is leading a growing number of Russian officials to believe a tactical nuke could be used as a last resort, they said.
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Putin has often resorted to nuclear sabre-rattling to intimidate Ukraine‘s Western allies out of supplying arms.
Moscow also increasingly views Ukraine’s strikes as Nato attacks, given that the alliance supplies Kyiv with weapons and intelligence, the sources told Bloomberg.
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The likelihood of the tyrant breaking the global taboo of not using nuclear weapons in wartime has long been a major concern.
But the risk of Russia resorting to the nuclear option remains low, given the potential political cost of breaking the taboo.
However, it could be an extreme response should Putin feel he has his back to the corner.
Tactical nuclear weapons carry weaker warheads and have a shorter range than traditional strategic weapons.
Strikes between Russia and Ukraine have intensified as peace talks reach a dead end Credit: Reuters
Kyiv has blitzed Russian oil refineries plunging the pariah into an energy crisis Credit: East2West
They are designed to influence a specific battlefield rather than level cities, as the US did to Nagasaki and Hiroshima during the last wartime use of a nuke in 1945.
The nuclear fallout can still contaminate large swathes of land and have catastrophic long-term implications.
Putin has shrugged off the impact that Ukrainian attacks are having on the Russian economy, saying his enemy has “opened Pandora’s box”.
He added: “Be ready to get a blowback on your most sensitive sectors of the economy.”
Russian attacks devastating the Ukrainian power grid during the harsh winter months, leaving thousands without heating or electricity.
The Kremlin has also exploited Ukrainian lack of missile interceptors, unleashing devastating attacks on the country in recent weeks.
US efforts to bring an end to the conflict have also appeared to have stalled, with Donald Trump focused on the Iran war.
Earlier this year, it looked as though Washington might have helped pressure Ukraine into ceding its eastern Donetsk region.
A previous launch of the Russian nuclear weapon Burevestnik – dubbed the ‘Flying Chernobyl’ Credit: East2West
The Burevestnik is a highly dangerous cruise missile fuelled by its own atomic reactor Credit: East2West
Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected Putin’s demands to surrender the region.
Russia finds itself in an increasingly tenuous position, with enormous battlefield losses and an energy crisis exacerbated by sanctions.
When Putin launched his illegal invasion in 2022, the dictator thought the war would be over in a few days.
But four and a half years later, resolution is still far from sight, sparking fears that he may use the tactical nuke out of desperation.
It comes amid fears that Putin is gearing up for a terrifying test of his perilous nuclear-powered “Flying Chernobyl” super weapon.
An influx of aircraft converging in the Arctic has sparked concerns the tyrant could fire the cruise missile which is fuelled by its own atomic reactor.
The Kremlin has long hailed the “invincible” Burevestnik missile which carries a nuclear warhead and reportedly boasts an “unlimited range”.
This means it could strike the UK should Putin ever decide to blitz the West, according to analysts.
Satellite images from across the past few weeks show Moscow’s high-powered aircraft descending on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Arctic.
The region has already hosted tests for the Burevestnik and was previously used by the Soviets as one of their main nuclear sites between 1955 and 1990.
The Kremlin, who have boasted about firing the Burevestnik before, are yet to confirm or deny the suspected test fears.
