By Christian Oliver For Mailonline and Marc Nicol, Defence Editor For The Daily Mail
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The West must ignore Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats, a top advisor to Ukraine’s President Zelensky has said.
The Kremlin claimed that it would resort to nuclear conflict if Europe and the US increased their supply of weapons and machinery to Ukraine.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to President Zelensky, told The Times: ‘Putin is not ready to press the red button’ as Russia understands the consequences of doing so.
This comes after the announcement from military chiefs that some 180,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the start of the war in Ukraine – a far higher estimate than previously thought.
The West must ignore Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats, a top advisor to Ukraine’s President Zelensky has said. Pictured: Russian President Vladimir Putin at his Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, January 30, 2023
A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile is test-fired as part of Russia’s nuclear drills from a launch site in Plesetsk, northwestern Russia, October 26, 2022
Mykhailo Podolyak told The Times: ‘Any use of nuclear weapons, even tactical ones, will lead to the inevitable death of most of the Russian political elite. They understand this very well.’
Podolyak said that Russia understands the consequences if it were to launch a nuclear strike, whether on Ukraine or any Western ally. He said Moscow understands it would face ‘immediate retribution’ as other nuclear powers have sent a very ‘clear warning’.
As western countries committed to sending weapons including tanks to Ukraine, Vyacheslav Volodin, a political ally of Putin and the speaker of the Russian parliament, said the west was risking a ‘terrible war’.
Western countries last week announced they would send dozens of sophisticated tanks to Ukraine, including pledges from the US, Germany, and UK.
Volodin said last week: ‘Foreign politicians making such decisions need to understand that this could end in a global tragedy that will destroy their countries.’
Former Russian Prime Minister and President Dmitry Medvedev – who is now the deputy chairman of Russia’s national security council – also warned that Moscow could use nuclear weapons if its military was defeated in Ukraine.
Mykhailo Podolyak told The Times: ‘Any use of nuclear weapons, even tactical ones, will lead to the inevitable death of most of the Russian political elite. They understand this very well’
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to President Zelensky, told The Times: ‘Putin is not ready to press the red button’ as Russia understands the consequences of doing so
Russia recently tested its nuclear capabilities with a test on its hypersonic Zircon missile in the Atlantic ocean earlier this month.
Zelensky’s advisor told The Times: ‘The Russian political elite wants to frighten other countries but at the same time they want to have a guaranteed life of luxury.
‘I would recommend paying less attention to the comments of people like Volodin and Medvedev. Their aim is to sow panic in Europe.’
This comes after it was estimated by military chiefs that up to 180,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The estimate from the Norwegian army is far higher than previously thought.
Top US general Mark Milley suggested the toll was around 100,000 last November. It is unclear how many troops Ukraine has lost since the country was invaded on February 24, 2022. Both sides have a policy of not disclosing losses.
Vladimir Putin’s army is currently making a desperate bid to seize territory before more than 300 Western tanks reach the war zone in Ukraine.
Up to 180,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the start of the war in Ukraine, military chiefs have claimed
Top US general Mark Milley suggested the Russian army toll was around 100,000 last November
Western officials said Russia was attempting to replace lost troops with hundreds of thousands of reservists and a partial mobilisation of civilians, including convicts. They admitted Russia was making ‘creeping gains’ in eastern Ukraine but insisted Kremlin forces are not large enough to make a strategic breakthrough.
Putin’s partial mobilisation has ‘semi-stabilised’ Russia’s frontline, which is making progress again after months of retreats and stalling.
An official said: ‘Russia has achieved some tactical successes but this is a ‘sideshow of a sideshow’. Russia has greater mass [than Ukraine] but it is unlikely the reservists brought to the frontline have formed into cohesive groups. Russia is attempting to gain momentum but its forces are falling short of the strategic tasks set for them.’
The official predicted that the ‘grinding conflict’ is likely to continue through this year.
On the influx of Western tanks, they said: ‘Russia is aware of timescales.’ Ukraine is on a defensive footing at the moment as it waits for the tanks.
Vladimir Putin’s army is currently making a desperate bid to seize territory before more than 300 Western tanks reach the war zone in Ukraine
Most will be German-made Leopard 2s following a landmark decision by Berlin to send tanks and lift export restrictions affecting Nato allies.
Other tanks include 14 Challenger 2s from Britain and 31 M1 Abrams from the US.
Ukrainian crews started training in the UK this week. The troops, accompanied by the British tanks, will return to the country in late March. They are already skilled tank drivers but must adapt to the specific requirements of the Challenger 2.
In recent weeks Russian forces have captured towns in Donetsk province. Their aim is to secure the strategically significant city of Bakhmut.
Before the invasion it had a population of 70,000. But civilians have fled from the city as Russian forces have closed in.
Ukraine may be required to withdraw from Bakhmut – a move which would represent a major blow to the country’s morale.
A Western official said: ‘Bakhmut is totemic in the public narrative, which puts both sides under pressure. But military judgment will have to be exercised.
‘We are not going to speculate on the outcome. In the past Ukraine has been wise in choosing timing of withdrawals when they redrew their defensive lines. There will be exchanges of territory and the conflict is not going to end soon.’
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
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