When Russian President Vladimir Putin first announced the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, his official video addresswas accompanied by thinly-veiled nuclear threats aimed at Western leaders. This Russian nuclear saber-rattling has remained a prominent feature of the war ever since.
Putin’s nuclear threats have made plenty of headlines but have only partially succeeded in deterring Western countries. For more than three and a half years, this strategy has helped Russia to slow down the flow of military aid to Ukraine without ever cutting off Western support entirely. Nevertheless, Kremlin leaders are seemingly unwilling or unable to abandon their nuclear scare tactics.
Putin himself frequently hints at possible nuclear escalation and has even officially revised Russia’s nuclear doctrine to lower the threshold for nuclear strikes. Meanwhile, Russian nukes have reportedly been deployed in Belarus, with Kremlin officials also recently threatening to supply nuclear weapons to Cuba and Venezuela. On November 5, Putin ordered Russian officials to begin preparations for the possible resumption of nuclear testing.
The Kremlin dictator is particularly fond of showcasing new weapons with nuclear capabilities. In late October, Putin announcedthe successful testing of the nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable Burevestnik missile. “This is a unique product that nobody else in the world has,” he commented. Days later, Putin hailed the similarly successful testing of the Poseidon drone, an atomic-powered and nuclear-capable underwater weapon. He trumpeted the Poseidon’s supposedly unmatched capabilities and stated that “there is no way to intercept it.”
It is impossible to independently assess the veracity of Putin’s claims or confirm the effectiveness of his latest alleged “wonder weapons.” Many have noted that neither weapon is entirely new, with the development of both being first announced back in 2018. In reality, the timing of these alleged tests is probably far more significant that the weapons themselves, and reflects Russia’s desire to engage in yet more nuclear saber-rattling.
Voice of Ukraine 