Russia’s Medvedev threatens nuclear attack if Ukrainian counteroffensive successful
Mike Brest
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Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who has previously threatened the use of a nuclear attack, said on Sunday that Moscow would have to launch one if Kyiv’s counteroffensive is successful.
Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, a body chaired by President Vladimir Putin, suggested on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that Moscow may need to use a nuclear weapon if Ukraine is able to take back territory currently under Russian occupation.
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“Just imagine that the NATO-supported ukrobanderovtsy’s offensive turned out successful, and they took away a part of our land,” Medvedev posted, referring to followers of Stepan Bandera, a nationalist leader who waged a violent campaign for Ukrainian independence in the 1930s and 1940s. “Then we would have to … use the nuclear weapon. There would simply be no other way out. That’s why our enemies must worship our warriors. They are keeping global nuclear fire from flaring up.”
Russia’s nuclear doctrine is that nuclear weapons can be used in response to aggression against Russia carried out using conventional weapons that threatens the existence of the country.
Medvedev has frequently issued threatening comments over the course of the war, including calling for an “inhumane” response following a Ukrainian attack on the Kerch Bridge in Crimea and the assassination of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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His remarks on Sunday came after days of a more forceful counterattack from Ukrainian forces, who had been preserving some capabilities and weapons until now. This month, as well, Russia has thwarted a handful of strikes and attacks within Russian territory, which they blame on Ukraine, highlighting a potential new phase of the conflict.
“Ukraine is getting stronger. Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia — to its symbolic centers and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process,” Zelensky said on Sunday night.