Russia's nuclear threat explained - Putin's codes and 30-minute warning

01.03.2022 - 14:49 / dailyrecord.co.uk

With Russia invading Ukraine, the world's attention turns to that of nuclear war.

Vladimir Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons, ordering his military to put Russia’s deterrence forces on high alert in the latest effort to achieve victory in Ukraine.

But should we take Putin's threats seriously and do they have meaning? Or should we dismiss them as attempts of bluffing?

The Mirror spoke to former British Army chemical and nuclear weapons expert, and author of Chemical Warrior, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, and Professor Anthony Glees, a security expert from the University of Buckingham, to answer your questions.

Prof Glees says: “He wants us to think he’s now gone to a higher state of nuclear alert. But like Nato’s, Russias nukes are always ready, so whether it actually means anything in military terms is doubtful.”

Mr de Bretton-Gordon calls it “a distraction. The war isn’t going well for him. He didn’t think the West would stick together, and I expect was completely undone by the EU and UK working so closely together.”

Prof Glees says: “Only someone who is demented would even toy with the idea of a nuclear war, but there is possibility that Putin really is demented, so we need to take it seriously.

“He knows he can’t lose this war, so if he feels he’s going to lose he might consider carrying out that threat.”

Mr de Bretton-Gordon says Putin might consider deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine “if he really is crazy, or if he thinks the West will not react.”

Nobody knows for sure, says Prof Glees. But it’s estimated that Russia owns more than half of the world’s 14,000 nuclear weapons. The USA is estimated to have 5,550 and the UK, 225.

Mr de Bretton-Gordon says: “Once the order is given, it will take minutes rather