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The Russian military in its current state would not be able to operate on a nuclear battlefield, a think tank said.
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Tactical nuclear weapons would make areas impassable and prevent Russian advance.
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The analysis comes amid escalating nuclear weapons rhetoric from Russian officials.
The Russian military in its current state could not operate on a nuclear battlefield, despite escalating rhetoric about nuclear weapons, a think tank said.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, cited Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s recent comments that Russia should use low-efficiency nuclear weapons after the loss of the occupied city of Lyman in eastern Ukraine.
“In my personal opinion, more drastic measures should be taken, up to the declaration of martial law in the border areas and the use of low-yield nuclear weapons,” Kadyrov said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also recently threatened the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, saying he was not bluffing, despite multiple experts saying the threat is likely to remain minimal.
According to the ISW, the Russian military in its current state would probably not be able to operate on a nuclear battlefield, despite having the necessary equipment and historically trained units.
The troops, which are currently a “chaotic agglomeration” of tired soldiers, hastily mobilized reservists and mercenaries, “couldn’t function in a nuclear environment,” the think tank said.
The use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons would make areas impassable and thus impede Russian advance, according to the think tank.
The think tank noted that discussions about Russia’s nuclear capabilities are common on Russian state television and among ultra-hawkish military bloggers, and that Kadyrov’s recent comments match that.
Putin’s other allies, including former President Dmitry Medvedev, have also echoed Russia’s nuclear threats.
Multiple experts and analysts have said it is unlikely that Russia will use nuclear weapons, and one expert recently told Insider that the threats are likely intended to cause confusion and uncertainty.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also criticized Putin’s “nuclear saber chatter” and said he currently sees nothing to indicate that nuclear weapons will be used.
Read the original article on Business Insider
