US prepared for possible Russian nuclear strike on Ukraine in late 2022 - media

CNN reports this with reference to its own sources.

It is noted that the White House was particularly concerned that Russia would use tactical or battlefield nuclear weapons.

“The administration’s fear was not just ­hypothetical —​­ it was also based on some information that we picked up. We had to plan so that we were in the best possible position in case this no‑longer unthinkable event actually took place,” the source said.

At the end of the summer of 2022, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were actively advancing on Dnipro's right bank in the Kherson region, nearing the occupied regional center. At that time, Russian forces were at risk of being encircled, and the US warned that such losses could prompt the Kremlin to resort to the use of nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, there were concerns that Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who had already declared Kherson as part of Russia, might perceive the loss of the city as a direct threat to himself and Russia.

At the same time, Russian propaganda was spreading a new 'story' about the Ukrainian dirty bomb, which, according to US officials, could serve as a cover for a Russian nuclear attack. Western intelligence services also received information that a nuclear strike is currently being openly discussed among Russian officials.

“More concerning” was that the Russians would say these things “either as a pretext for them to do something crazy or as a cover for something they themselves were looking at doing. So that was quite alarming,” the source added.

• Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia has transferred a portion of its nuclear warheads to Belarus. The rest will be transferred by the end of the year.

• Military analysts at the Institute for the Study of War believe that the Kremlin's statements about transferring nuclear warheads represent the consolidation of Russia's actual military control over Belarus.