Russian dictator, Putin, may threaten to use nuclear weapons to deter a counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the liberation of the occupied territories of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
This was reported in the report of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on July 19.
Analysts believe that if Russia succeeds in annexing the occupied territories of Ukraine, they may directly or indirectly declare that Russian military doctrine provides for the possibility of using nuclear weapons to defend "Russian territory."
The Institute notes that such actions threaten Ukraine and its allies with a nuclear attack if Ukrainian counteroffensives continue.
"Ukraine and its Western partners may have a narrowing window of opportunity to support a Ukrainian counteroffensive on occupied Ukrainian territory before the Kremlin annexes that territory," ISW summarized.