Ukrainian commander claims Russia 'preparing to use tactical nuclear weapons'

Ukraine has issued a chilling warning, claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to deploy tactical nuclear weapons. The alert came from Ukrainian military commander Roman Kostenko, who insists his nation must bolster its readiness for the deployment of weapons of mass destruction. Kostenko told Ukrainian news outlet Channel 24 that he reckons, should Russia sense it is being defeated in the conflict, it will turn to using nukes. He believes that Russia could launch tactical nuclear weapons with a yield of several to dozens of kilotons. The targets may be military bases, troop concentrations, infrastructure, decision-making centres, and large cities. The military leader added that he has submitted legislation proposing to separate the strategy of biological, chemical, and nuclear security into a distinct area. He maintained this is essential to maximise the level of preparedness for the deployment of nuclear weapons as he believes the Russian threat has now reached such a point. He said: "This will be a separate strategy in our law on national security." This follows after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday revealed "a new stage in the use of Ukrainian weapons to limit the potential of Russia's war". The Ukraine Security Service (SBU) subsequently confirmed it had hit Transneft's oil pumping and distribution facility in the city of Perm that day, from where oil was pumped to the Perm refinery and via pipeline in four directions across Russia. The site is "a strategically important hub of the main oil transportation system", according to the SBU, with early reports indicating that "almost all oil storage tanks are on fire". Ukraine's recent offensive has started to provoke angry responses from the Russian government. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the strikes on oil facilities as "terrorist attacks". A Russian Defence Ministry statement - that military cadets and a column of equipment would not participate in this year's Victory Day parade commemorating the end of World War 2 "due to the current operational situation"