An expected counter-attack on
Russian troops in southern Ukraine has raised fears that the Kremlin could
resort to using nuclear weapons, according to a British expert.
Ukrainian troops were said to
gain strength near the occupied city of Kherson yesterday.
Air strikes destroyed several
bridges, cutting off the remaining Russian forces.
As Russian military doctrine
prescribes tactical nuclear weapons when its forces face defeat, concerns are
growing that Vladimir Putin could use them.
Last night, Colonel Hamish de
Bretton-Gordon, a chemical weapons expert, said: “The specter of Russia using
tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine is undoubtedly a growing concern in NATO
capitals.
With the tide appearing to be
turning in southern Ukraine, Putin’s special operation may be about to unravel.
At this stage, it is critical that the UK and US signal to the Kremlin that any
use of nuclear weapons would cross a red line.”
Tactical nuclear missiles
usually have a lethal radius of a mile and a half. But their shock waves and
electromagnetic pulses extend further and pose an additional risk to life.
Western intelligence agencies
were understood last night that they were closely monitoring the transit of
these weapons into southern Ukraine.
These fears came to the fore
when the number of Russian troops killed or wounded in the conflict was
estimated to be 75,000 or higher.
