Russia ‘no need’ to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, says minister

Russia “has no need” to use nuclear weapons to achieve its objectives in Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

“From a military point of view, there is no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine to achieve our goals,” Shoigu told participants at an international security conference in Moscow.

“The main purpose of Russian nuclear weapons is to deter a nuclear attack, their use is limited to emergency circumstances, which are defined in Russian guidance documents open to the public,” he added.

“In this context, speculation is spreading in the media about the alleged use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons during a special military operation or about the readiness to use chemical weapons. All this information is an absolute lie,” Shoigu said.

Ukraine calls for new sanctions on Russia

Ukraine has called for new sanctions on Russia and highlighted the fallout from the catastrophe at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant, where renewed bombings nearby renewed a blame game between the two sides.

The world’s nuclear watchdog said the world was at risk of disaster if the fighting did not stop. Authorities in Ukraine and Russia have exchanged accusations over who is responsible for the attacks near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russian soldiers that if they attack the site in the now Russian-controlled city of Enerhodar or use it as a shooting base, they will become a “special target”.

“If through Russia’s actions a catastrophe occurs, the consequences could hit those who are currently silent,” he said in a speech late on Monday, calling for new sanctions on Russia’s nuclear sector.

“If now the world does not show the strength and determination to defend a nuclear power plant, it will mean that the world has lost.”

(With information from Reuters)