Widespread fears regarding the likelihood of a nuclear strike by the Russian Federation are currently unfounded, although its nuclear arsenal continues to pose a serious threat. This was stated by the head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview with the British publication The Times.
This is reported by Finway
Nuclear potential of Russia and lack of signs of preparation for a strike
According to Kyrylo Budanov, Russia has the technical capability to launch a nuclear strike at any moment and at any distance, however, no signs of preparation for such a scenario have been recorded so far, particularly in relation to Kyiv.
“I have not seen any indicators regarding preparations for a nuclear strike,” said the head of the President’s Office, adding that Moscow has all the capabilities to carry out such a strike at any distance.
Budanov emphasized that the decision to use nuclear weapons is primarily political, and no markers for planning such a step have been identified so far. He also assured that if preparations for a nuclear strike were underway, the relevant signs would be known to the Ukrainian side.
Political context and Russian statements regarding nuclear weapons
On May 8, Ukraine temporarily excluded Red Square from the list of targets, allowing a parade to take place in Moscow on May 9 by an appropriate decree signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky. After that, on May 12, Vladimir Putin made a statement about the capabilities of Russia’s nuclear weapons, announcing tests of the “Sarmat” missile system and mentioning the use of the medium-range missile “Oreshnik” during strikes on Dnipro in November 2024 and on Lviv in January 2026.