Russia threatens NATO with nuclear Armageddon as Putin faces 'strategic defeat'

Russia has issued chilling threats to use nuclear weapons as the US warned Vladimir Putin that his war in Ukraine has become a “strategic disaster”. The warnings from Moscow came as NATO began its major Ramstein Flag 2026 drills in a show of strength.

Dan Negrea, the US representative at the UN Security Council, said the Kremlin was staring at failure. He said: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a strategic disaster. Its oil refineries are ablaze and Russia is losing 5,000 people per month. Moscow cannot achieve its goals on the battlefield.

“Escalation will not change that and only risks making the disaster worse.

“This war must end now. Enough is enough.”

But Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said Putin was ready to use nuclear weapons if Russia or Belarus — bound together in an autocratic “Union State” — faced security risks.

“We are constantly ready to use all means, including nuclear ones, to ensure the security of the Union State,” he said.

Galuzin pointed to what Moscow claims is a buildup of NATO forces on the border of Russia and Belarus.

The threat was followed by an extraordinary call in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the Russian government’s official newspaper, for Putin to use nuclear weapons and seek to assassinate Volodymyr Zelensky.

The demand came from military expert Col Yuri Knutov as Moscow reels from Ukraine’s increasingly effective use of drones and missiles.

Putin’s forces are being forced back on parts of the frontline and are suffering devastating losses.

Knutov said Moscow should declare Zelensky “an international terrorist, which in essence would free the hands of our special services for his liquidation,” he said.

“To these measures for neutralising aerial threats one can also add a change in the tactics of ground warfare.

“The mass use of drones is slowing the pace of our offensive. It forces us to disperse and conduct combat operations in small groups.

“My view is that we are approaching the moment when the question of using tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield will arise.”

He said Russia should use tactical nuclear weapons to break Ukrainian defences and regain momentum.

“These do not necessarily have to be missiles with a warhead of ten kilotons.

“For example, we have 152mm shells with special [nuclear] warheads in service.

“That is, with low-yield charges.

“They should ensure our breakthrough in key directions.

“In other words, if we use them in three or four places in the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ defences, then we are guaranteed to move forward because of the absence of fortifications and enemy manpower.

“At the same time, the level of use of tactical weapons would be minimal.

“Then we encircle and destroy what remains in the rear.”

He warned: “Such actions are part of combat tactics and are known to our General Staff.

“It is also necessary to make more extensive use of our most powerful aerial bombs, the FAB-3000 and FAB-9000.

“If actively used on a particular sector, such munitions are also capable of grinding down the enemy’s defences, including its buried positions.”