What if Putin Fired Low-Yield Tactical nuclear Weapons?

Video Above: Russia-Ukraine and the Prospect of Nuclear War

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

The Russian move to put nuclear forces on “high alert” has many raising the legitimate question as to whether Putin might actually consider using nuclear weapons, perhaps even a tactical, lower-yield nuclear weapon. 

Russia’s Nuclear Weapons

Should the Russian military continue to be stalled, stopped and heavily impaired by highly-motivated Ukrainian fighters, would Putin feel backed into a corner and fire a low-yield tactical nuclear weapon into Ukraine, assuming the West would not choose to imperil the fate of the world by responding with nuclear weapons?

The question is an important one, and US leaders are making a specific choice not to escalate in response to Putin’s actions with threatening language due to the seriousness of the possibility of nuclear war. At the same time, the Pentagon was clear to emphasize that it has full confidence in its nuclear triad intended to provide strategic deterrence against any adversary contemplating a nuclear attack.

What about the question of tactical nuclear weapons, as it has been something fiercely debated on Capital Hills as to whether it might lower the threshold to nuclear war. 

Deterrence

This question was introduced in response to several key developments such as the US Air Force’s nuclear-capable Long-Range Stand Off weapon, a cruise missile capable of launching low-yield nuclear attacks from safer stand-off distances.