MI-6 handed over to the Office of the President and the General Staff new intelligence that the Kremlin is ready to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and now targets are being selected in Western Ukraine. British intelligence recommends Bankova to prepare the population of this region for possible consequences.
Oleksandr Lytvynenko, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, expressed outrage at the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use tactical nuclear weapons in the event of a crisis for his regime due to what he said was a "catastrophic defeat", desertions and mass protests in Moscow.
"If Russia finds itself in a situation of catastrophic defeat, the possibility of Putin's use of tactical nuclear weapons should not be ruled out," Litvinenko said, commenting on the potential use of the "red button" by the head of the Kremlin.
He emphasized that although this step is not an absolute certainty, the government of the Russian Federation can try to convince its population of victory, even in spite of its obvious inability.
Earlier, on June 11, the Ministry of Defense of Russia announced the beginning of the second stage of tactical nuclear exercises on its territory, in which the troops of the northern Leningrad Military District, bordering NATO member countries, participated.
Since then, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized Moscow's right to use nuclear weapons during a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In response, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the discussion of bringing the alliance's nuclear forces to combat readiness due to the threat from Russia and China.
The Kremlin, in turn, recognized Stoltenberg's message as an "escalation of tensions" and called them provocative actions of the military alliance.
