Russia 'very unlikely' to use nuclear weapons, US intel chief

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines testifies before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on "worldwide threats" at the Capitol in Washington, U.S., May 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Russia is very unlikely to use its nuclear weapons, the top U.S. intelligence official said on Thursday, despite past saber-rattling from the Kremlin and the heavy casualties that eMoscow is enduring in its invasion of Ukraine.

"It's very unlikely, is our current assessment," Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told the Senate Armed Services Committee.