Putin Ally Suggests Using Nuclear Weapons as Ukraine Deals Russia Another Defeat

An ally of President Vladimir Putin suggested the use of low-grade nuclear weapons after Kyiv's troops were able to liberate Saturday the strategic city of Lyman in the Russian-occupied territory of eastern Ukraine.

Kyiv successfully reclaimed Lyman just a day after Putin announced the widely condemned "illegal" annexation of the four Ukrainian regions, including Donetsk where Lyman is located.

Following this, known Putin ally and leader of Russia's southern Chechnya region, Ramzan Kadyrov, suggested that Russia take "more drastic measures" against Ukraine.

"In my personal opinion, more drastic measures should be taken, right up to the declaration of martial law in the border areas and the use of low-yield nuclear weapons," Kadyrov said via Telegram before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's nightly address.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also suggested that Russia may need to use nuclear weapons just a week after Putin said he would do anything to defend his country’s “territorial integrity” using all available means possible.

In a video posted on social media by Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Zelensky's office, Ukrainian troops can be seen outside the town council building of Lyman claiming success in liberating the city which was used by Russia as its transport and logistics hub for their planned operations in the north and the Donetsk region.

"Dear Ukrainians - today the armed forces of Ukraine ... liberated and took control of the settlement of Lyman, Donetsk region," one of the soldiers said. At the end of the video, a group of Ukrainian soldiers threw Russian flags from the building's roof and raised a Ukrainian flag.

Hours earlier Russia's defense ministry announced it was pulling troops out of the area in connection with the "threat of encirclement."