Putin Won't Use Tactical Nuclear Weapons Against Ukraine: Russian Ambassador To UK

Russia says it will not use any of its tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Russian Ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin said the use of such weapons, based on Russia’s strict military rules, is not meant for conflicts such as the ongoing war between the two countries.

According to the BBC, Kelin emphasized the matter, saying that Russia follows stringent provisions for its nuclear arsenal and will only consider using them should the state’s existence come under threat. In late February, Russian President Vladimir Putin put his nuclear forces on high alert after Russian troops invaded Ukraine. The move was perceived as a clear warning from the Kremlin following much criticism from NATO and the Western-allied countries. Kelin has continued to deny any allegations that Ukrainian civilians were shelled by Russia and insists that such claims of atrocious war crimes are mere fabrications.

“The mayor of Bucha in his initial statement has confirmed that Russian troops have left, everything is clean and calm, the town in a normal state,” Kelin said. “In our view, it is a fabrication. It is used just to interrupt negotiations,” the ambassador added.

However, eyewitness accounts from Ukraine residents tell of a different scenario. Speaking with the BBC, they told of horrors claiming that Russian troops carried out summary executions of their loved ones. Despite satellite imageries of dead bodies lining the streets of Ukraine weeks before Russian forces left, and CCTV footage of Russian soldiers killing unarmed civilians, Kelin said these were “probably a piece of film or a piece of a computer game”.

The Russian military is believed to have around 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons in its arsenal and have the capability to travel short distances such as neighboring regions. These can include several types of weapons like smaller bombs and short-range missiles that are also used on the battlegrounds. Strategic nuclear weapons on the other hand are used for targets that are located at much further distances and often foreshadow an all-out nuclear war.

Any such fears of a nuclear attack from Russia will only be diminished once Putin decides to recall and remove his troops completely from Ukraine, UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss said.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Russia is open to resuming talks with Ukraine, however, there has been no mention of direct negotiations between the two conflicting nations. As it is, Moscow is being urged to release some 2,500 Ukrainian fighters that were captured in Mariupol while being insisted by allied nations to declare an immediate ceasefire.