Vladimir Putin has raised the nuclear threat. What capabilities does Russia have?
ABCWhen Russia first invaded Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin cautioned the West about his nuclear capabilities, ordering his nuclear forces be put on high alert. Dr Genauer said Mr Putin knew that using nuclear weapons would be a severe escalation and would be met in kind by Ukraine's Western allies. "Putin has been drawing on the threat of nuclear weapons almost since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, ever since it became clear that Russia's invasion of Ukraine would not be a short and decisive military victory for Russia," she said. "Given Russia's already weakened military state, and the breadth of sanctions already being applied, it seems unlikely that Putin would want to risk the response from Western partners to a nuclear strike."