Russian nuclear attack risk on Ukraine was real in 2022 - CIA Director

He shared this insight during the FT Weekend festival in London, as reported by The Telegraph.

Burns stated that the Ukrainian military’s sudden advance in the northeast during the fall of 2022 raised serious concerns that Vladimir Putin might resort to drastic measures, which sparked a surge in diplomatic efforts.

“There was a moment in the fall of 2022 when I think there was a genuine risk of a potential use of tactical nuclear weapons,” Burns remarked in a conversation with the head of Britain's MI6 foreign intelligence service.

He further explained that U.S. President Joe Biden had instructed him to meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Naryshkin, at the close of 2022 to make it clear what the consequences of such an escalation would be.

By November 2022, Burns had traveled to Türkiye for a direct meeting with Naryshkin.

“He is conveying a message on the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia, and the risks of escalation to strategic stability,” the White House had emphasized in a statement at the time.

The Telegraph also reported that after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s October 2022 claim that Ukraine was planning to deploy a "radioactive dirty bomb," fears escalated regarding a possible Russian attack.

Soon after, Russian media began pushing the narrative that Kyiv was preparing nuclear materials to use in the form of a dirty bomb or a "low-yield nuclear weapon."

However, the UK quickly dismissed these allegations, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy countered by accusing Russia of plotting its own dirty bomb attack.

“I don’t think we can afford to be intimidated by that sabre rattling or bullying [but] we’ve got to be mindful of it,” Burns concluded.

• In June 2023, during a press conference in Vietnam, Putin hinted that Russia was contemplating “lowering the threshold” for nuclear weapon use in its doctrine and warned that a future strategic defeat in Ukraine could spell “the end of Russian statehood.”
• Later, during a speech to Russian military graduates, Putin reiterated that Russia plans to continue developing its nuclear triad, framing it as the "guarantee of strategic deterrence" and a means to maintain the global power balance.
• At the same time, a survey revealed that 34% of Russians believed that using nuclear weapons against Ukraine would be justified.