A warning from a former Russian president has raised concerns about the potential use of nuclear weapons by the Kremlin against Britain. Dmitry Medvedev, currently serving as the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, stated that Moscow would resort to deploying tactical nuclear weapons targeting the UK, France, and Ukraine if the first two countries supplied Kyiv with nuclear technology.
These statements followed an accusation by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claiming that Britain and France were actively supporting Ukraine in acquiring a nuclear bomb. In response, a French Government account emphasized Russia’s focus on French and British nuclear capabilities during what it referred to as the ‘three-day war.’
Medvedev, who held the Russian presidency from 2008 to 2012, highlighted that such actions would violate the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. He expressed a firm stance that Russia would utilize all necessary means, including non-strategic nuclear weapons, against perceived threats from Ukraine and potentially against the countries aiding Ukraine in a nuclear conflict.
The SVR press office’s statement accused Britain and France of pushing for Ukraine to possess advanced weaponry, labeling it a flagrant violation of international law that would undermine the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The agency claimed that the Western nations were covertly facilitating the transfer of European technology to Ukraine, including the French TN75 warhead used in submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
As the conflict in Ukraine continues, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported over 55,000 Ukrainian military casualties since February 24, 2022, with the BBC estimating a much higher death toll approaching 200,000. The Center for Strategic and International Studies reported that Russian forces have suffered approximately 1.2 million casualties, with up to 325,000 fatalities confirmed.
The BBC confirmed the names of over 180,000 Russian casualties but noted that the actual death toll could be significantly higher due to underreported battlefield deaths.
