Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine yesterday, sending shockwaves around the world.
The invasion has advanced on Ukraine on three sides with Russian troops now controlling significant parts of the country.
Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, was hit with missile strikes today and Russian forces have now reached the city.
Russian president Vladimir Putin believes Ukraine is not a real country and he blames the west for "bringing its military infrastructure closer to Russian borders".
In his announcement of the attack on Thursday, Putin said Russia's response would be "instant" and "never seen in history" if other countries fought back.
The attack has raised the issue of nuclear weapons along with the question of whether they could be used, The Mirror reported.
Are nuclear weapons likely to be used in the Russia-Ukraine war?
The possibility of nuclear weapons being used remains a long way off with the likely devastation of both sides outweighing the costs of any benefits that could be gleaned from using weapons of mass destruction.
Nuclear options represent the most drastic weapon in the armoury of superpowers and the decision to use them carries the gravest consequences possible.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons has been in place since 1970.
It has been signed by the UK and US as well as the Soviet Union (now Russia), and in total 191 countries have now joined the treaty.
What defences does the UK have against nukes?
The nuclear deterrent is in place to protect the UK and its NATO allies.
Writing about the reason for the deterrent, the government says: "The purpose of nuclear deterrence is to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression.
"Potential aggressors know that the costs of attacking the UK, or our NATO allies, could far outweigh any benefit they could hope to achieve.
"This deters states from using their nuclear weapons against us or carrying out the most extreme threats to our national security."
Britain's nuclear deterrent is based in the Royal Navy, maintaining at least one nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine in the ocean and undetected at all times.
The system has been in place since 1969, and can only be activated by the Prime Minister - currently Boris Johnson - even if it is deployed as part of a NATO action.
Can Russian nuclear weapons reach the UK?
In short, yes, Russian nuclear weapons do have the range to hit the UK. Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, or ICBMs, have the ability to travel thousands of miles.
Russia has a range of different weapons that can be launched from the sea, land or air.
NATO has produced an infographic available here that breaks down the varieties of nuclear weapons available to various powers.
Data produced by the Arms Control Association claims that both Russia and the US have thousands of nuclear weapons, with the UK, France and China all also numbering in the hundreds.
Does Ukraine have nuclear weapons?
No, Ukraine does not have nuclear weapons.
After the end of the Cold War in 1991 and the breakup of the Soviet Union - of which Ukraine was part - large numbers of nukes were left behind in Ukraine by Moscow.
However, Ukraine made the decision to get rid of the weapons, opting instead to fully denuclearise.
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