Nuclear risk during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday he hoped the West "heard" his warning about the danger of a direct war with NATO if it allowed Ukraine to use long-range weapons against Russia.

Putin made the initial threat in September after Britain and the United States mulled letting Kiev use long-range arms against Russian targets, warning this would put NATO "at war" with Moscow.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that an updated nuclear doctrine that will allow Moscow to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states should be seen as a warning to the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sept. 25 announced plans to broaden Russia's rules on the use of its nuclear weaponry, allowing it to unleash a nuclear response in the event of a "massive" air attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the UN General Assembly in New York, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to target Ukraine's nuclear power plants.

Russian forces have intensified their offensive near Vuhledar, reaching the outskirts of the strategic Ukrainian stronghold. Amid these developments, Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian ammunition depots, exposing vulnerabilities in Russia's military logistics.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will press the case for Ukraine to use long-range missiles on targets inside Russia when he visits Washington this week.

Zelensky was speaking hours after confirming that the United States and Britain had still not authorized Kyiv to use such weapons in this way.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Thursday that allowing Ukraine to use longer-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia would effectively put NATO "at war" with Russia.

Sergey Karaganov, a prominent Russian political scientist known for his hawkish stance, has called for Russia to demonstrate its willingness to use nuclear weapons against NATO member states that support Ukraine.

The Kremlin has issued a warning that Russia will "retaliate accordingly" if the United States allows Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes deep within Russian territory, a decision Moscow suspects has already been made, Reuters reports.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov issued a stern warning to the United States on Wednesday, cautioning against disregarding Russia's "red lines." This response came in light of reports suggesting that the US is nearing a deal to supply Ukraine with long-range JASSM cruise missiles, capable of striking deep into Russian territory—a request that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensk

The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that Russia is revising its nuclear doctrine in response to perceived threats from the United States and its Western allies, who, according to Moscow, have escalated the conflict in Ukraine and disregarded Russia's security concerns.