Russian military officials discussed using nuclear weapons in Ukraine war: Report

Senior Russian military officials recently discussed the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons in the Ukrainian war, sending alarm bells in the Biden administration, US media reported citing an assessment drafted by the National Intelligence Council (NIC).

However, President Vladimir Putin was not involved in the talks, the assessment by US intelligence said.

According to the New York Times (NYT), the assessment was circulated inside the US government in mid-October.

Tactical nuclear weapons are meant to be used at shorter ranges in combat as opposed to the intercontinental ballistic missiles which are designed to cause massive destruction.

Russia has a stockpile of 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, the Pentagon estimates. However, none of them has been used in any combat, reports NYT.

Responding to the reports, John FKirby, a National Security Council official, said that the White House had grown "increasingly concerned" about the potential use of nuclear weapons over the last few months.

But he asserted that the US saw no sign of Russia preparing for such use.

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“We’ve been clear from the outset that Russia’s comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are deeply concerning, and we take them seriously.”

The assessment of Russia using nukes comes at a time when Moscow has been raising the notion that Ukraine was planning to use a so-called dirty bomb — a conventional explosive laced with radioactive material.

The issue was raised during contacts between US and other Western officials and their Russian counterparts, including two calls between Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Russian Defence MinisterSergei K. Shoigu.

There has been heightened rhetoric among the Russian top officials on the potential to use to nuclear weapons during the war in Ukraine.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Russian foreign ministry reiterated thatMoscow was entitled to use nuclear weaponsin response to "an aggression with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is in jeopardy".

(With inputs from agencies)

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