Top Stories
Russia says ‘no need’ to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has “no need” to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, its defence minister said on Tuesday, describing media speculation that Moscow might deploy nuclear or chemical weapons in the conflict as “absolute lies”.
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has “no need” to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, its defence minister said on Tuesday, describing media speculation that Moscow might deploy nuclear or chemical weapons in the conflict as “absolute lies”.
“From a military point of view, there is no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine to achieve the set goals. The main purpose of Russian nuclear weapons is to deter a nuclear attack,” Sergei Shoigu said during a speech at an international security conference in Moscow.
“The media are spreading speculation about the alleged use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in the course of the special military operation, or about the readiness to use chemical weapons. All these informational attacks are absolute lies.”
Shoigu also alleged Ukrainian military operations were being planned by the United States and Britain, and that NATO had increased its troop deployment in eastern and central Europe “several times over”.
Referring to the New START Treaty to control U.S. and Russian nuclear arms, Shoigu said talks to extend the treaty were “a two-way street”, and the situation around it was “difficult”.
“A difficult situation is also developing with regard to the Treaty on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The agreement remains in force until 2026,” Shoigu added.
“On the Russian side, obligations are being fulfilled, the declared levels of carriers and warheads are maintained within the established limits.”
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Alison Williams and Mark Potter)
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. These weapons can cause massive destruction and loss of life.
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance of countries from North America and Europe established for mutual defense against aggression.
Tactical nuclear weapons are designed for use on the battlefield in military situations, as opposed to strategic nuclear weapons, which are intended for large-scale destruction of cities and infrastructure.
Military deterrence is a strategy aimed at preventing an adversary from taking an undesirable action, typically through the threat of retaliation or the demonstration of military capability.
Explore more articles in the Top Stories category
