Senior Russian military commanders recently discussed how and when the Kremlin would use tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) in Ukraine, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, President Vladimir Putin was not part of the conversation. Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday that there were no indications that the Russian leader “has made a decision at this time to employ nuclear weapons.”
Also on Tuesday, Security Council of the Russian Federation deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Telegram that Kyiv’s objectives to return all occupied territories to its control constituted an existential threat to Russia and would allow for the use of nuclear weapons.
According to the Times, intelligence reports about the nuclear weapons conversations were shared within the US government in mid-October.