KEY POINTS
- The National Intelligence director said Putin will likely give signs that nuclear use is imminent
- The signs could include further scaling of nuclear exercises involving intercontinental missiles
- At least 26,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war, says Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin could resort to using nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine if he feels Russia is losing in the battle, a top U.S. intelligence official warned Tuesday.
Speaking during a briefing, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines said Putin might take drastic measures to ensure Russia’s victory in the war, including instituting martial law in his country and deploying nuclear weapons.
“The current trend increases the likelihood that President Putin will turn to more drastic means, including imposing martial law, reorienting industrial production, or potentially escalatory military actions to free up the resources needed to achieve his objectives as the conflict drags on,” Haines told senators in the briefing.
The top National Intelligence official added that the world would likely get some warning that nuclear use is imminent before Putin gives Russian troops signals to use nuclear weaponry. The signals, she said, could include further scaling of nuclear exercises showcasing mobile intercontinental missiles and strategic submarines.
“There are a lot of things that he would do in the context of escalation before he would get to nuclear weapons, and also that he would be likely to engage in some signaling beyond what he’s done thus far before doing so,” Haines said.
The warning comes as the war stretches into its third month. Russian forces are now turning their attention to Eastern Ukraine after they failed to take over the capital city of Kyiv in the early days of the invasion.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that as of Tuesday, the country’s forces killed an estimated 26,000 Russian soldiers, downed 199 aircraft, 1,170 tanks, 1,980 vehicles and 519 artillery systems. The ministry also claimed that Ukrainian troops killed at least 12 Russian generals since the invasion began in late February.
While Russian officials have yet to confirm the number of generals killed in the war, Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that they believe “eight to ten” Russian generals and senior officials have been killed in the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with officials on fighting wildfires, via video link in Moscow, Russia May 10, 2022. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS Photo: Reuters / SPUTNIK
