Any "tactical" nuclear attacks executed by Vladimir Putin would result in the end of Russian civilisation, a historian has warned.
Putin has an estimated 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons at his disposal and some have the power to kill tens of thousands at a time. With Russia's invasion of Ukraine being met with unexpectedly fierce resistance, there are fears that the Kremlin boss could resort to using his nuclear arsenal to turn the tide of the conflict.
Dominic Sandbrook, an expert in modern history, has said one plausible scenario that could spark a tactical nuclear strike is if the Ukrainians were to launch a counterattack in the Donbas, a region Putin is desperate to hang on to. Mr Sandbrook wrote in the Daily Mail : "One plausible scenario is that if the Ukrainians mount a counterattack in the Donbas — and especially if they threaten his grip on Crimea — Mr Putin might authorise a 'tactical' nuclear strike, using short-range weapons devised for use on the battlefield.
