Russian military leaders believed to have discussed use of nuclear weapons The New York Times on Washington's fears

The US is concerned about the contents of the Russian military’s top leadership’s discussion on when and how Moscow could use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

The New York Times reports on this, stating that President Vladimir Putin was not a part of the conversations, which were held against the backdrop of Russia’s intensifying nuclear rhetoric and battlefield setbacks.

The conversations alarmed the Biden administration because they showed how frustrated Moscow had become over its battlefield setbacks in Ukraine.

Alone the fact that senior Russian military leaders were having the discussions alarmed the Biden administration because it showed how frustrated Russian generals were about their failures on the ground, and suggests that President Putin veiled threats to use nuclear weapons might not just be words.

The publication remarked, that American officials said they had seen no evidence that the Russians were moving nuclear weapons into place or taking other tactical measures to prepare for a strike.

The intelligence about the conversations was circulated inside the US government in mid-October.

US officials would not describe the scenarios the military leaders considered for use of a nuclear weapon.

John F. Kirby, a National Security Council official, declined to comment on "the particulars of this reporting", the New York Times wrote.

"We’ve been clear from the outset that Russia’s comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are deeply concerning, and we take them seriously,” Mr. Kirby said, adding that “we continue to monitor this as best we can, and we see no indications that Russia is making preparations for such use".

Estimates provided by the Pentagon point to Russia having stockpiled as many as 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which are designed to be used on battlefields to overwhelm conventional forces.

No tactical nuclear weapons have ever been used in combat, but one could be deployed in any number of ways, including by missile or artillery shell.

Tactical nuclear weapons carry lower yields and are meant to be used at shorter ranges than the warheads carried on intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The publication points out, that the new intelligence surfaced when Moscow was promoting the notion that Ukraine was planning to use a so-called dirty bomb.