US officials: Russian military leaders discussed the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine

ARK News… US officials said that a number of senior Russian military leaders recently held talks to discuss when and how Moscow might use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

The New York Times quoted officials as saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not part of the talks, which took place against the backdrop of Russia's intense nuclear rhetoric and Moscow's continued setbacks on the battlefield.

But the fact that top Russian military leaders have been having this kind of conversation has alarmed the Biden administration, because it shows how frustrated Russian generals are about their failures in Ukraine, and suggests that Putin's veiled threats to use nuclear weapons may be real.

According to the New York Times, this intelligence was circulated about Russian leaders' conversations within the US government in mid-October.

US officials did not mention the scenarios developed by military leaders regarding the use of nuclear weapons.

However, US officials said they saw no evidence that the Russians were transporting any nuclear weapons to the battlefield or taking other tactical measures to prepare for a nuclear strike.

"We've been clear from the start that Russia's comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are of deep concern, and we take them seriously," said John Kirby, an official at the National Security Council. We continue to monitor this as best we can, but we see no indications that Russia is making preparations for such use.”

The Pentagon estimates that Russia has a stockpile of up to 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons.

Military experts say the use of a nuclear weapon - for the first time in more than 75 years - will completely change the shape of war.

Although the resulting devastation will depend on many factors, including the size of the weapon and the intensity of the winds, a small nuclear explosion could kill thousands and make parts of Ukraine uninhabitable.

Last Thursday, Putin said that his country "never talked about the use of nuclear weapons, but Western leaders, including Liz Truss (former British Prime Minister), engaged in nuclear blackmail against Russia."

He added that he "does not see the need to use these weapons" from a political or military point of view.

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