Vladimir Putin is 'Preparing to Use Tactical Nuclear Weapons,' Ukrainian Commander Warns
Vladimir Putin has been accused of planning to use nukes against Ukraine.
May 4 2026, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Ukraine's top military commander is sounding the alarm that Vladimir Putin is planning to use nuclear weapons, four years into Russia's quagmire with their neighbor to the west, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Roman Kostenko is warning that his nation must brace for the possibility of "tactical nuclear weapons" aimed at military bases, Ukraine's infrastructure, and even large cities that would be the likely targets.
Vladimir Putin Accused of Planning to Use 'Tactical Nuclear Weapons' Against Ukraine
A top Ukraine military leader is warning about the possibility of Russia using nukes in the conflict.
The decorated colonel announced that he had submitted legislation to create a separate, standalone strategy for biological, chemical, and nuclear security.
He stressed that this change is essential to maximize preparedness for the potential deployment of nuclear weapons, warning that the Russian threat has now reached a critical level.
"This will be a separate strategy in our national security law," he said on Ukraine's Channel 24.
Ukraine Entering 'New Stage' in War Against Russia
Ukianians protest Russia's invasion.
Kostenko warming comes after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed "a new stage in the use of Ukrainian weapons to limit the potential of Russia's war," on April 29.
The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) later confirmed it had struck Transneft’s oil pumping and distribution facility in the Russian city of Perm. The site supplies oil to the Perm refinery and feeds pipelines running in four directions across Russia.
According to the SBU, the facility is "a strategically important hub of the main oil transportation system," with early reports indicating that almost all of its oil storage tanks are on fire.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov decried the oil facility strikes as "terrorist attacks" as the conflict continues to show no sign of ending.
To underscore the seriousness of the Perm attacks, Russia pulled a group of military cadets and a column of military equipment from its upcoming Victory Day parade, which commemorates the end of World War II, "due to the current operational situation."
Vladimir Putin 'Personally Oversees the Creation of Weapons'
Putin is 'personally overseeing' new nuclear weapons.
The new warning out of Ukraine comes days after saber-rattling by Alexei Likhachev, the head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation, about the Kremlin's nukes.
"Our nuclear shield, our nuclear sword, remains our key task," he said on May 1, while referring to Putin's heavy-handed involvement.
"The President of the Russian Federation personally oversees the creation of weapons based on new physical principles and the maintenance of the combat capability of our existing solutions," Likhachev added.
Russia's Security Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev warned at a recent education forum that a nuclear apocalypse remains a very real possibility, although one his country hopes to "avoid."
"I am often reproached for using tough rhetoric and speaking of a nuclear apocalypse. Unfortunately, it is really possible. Those who don’t realize it are either dreamers or fools. However, we would like to avoid it," he stated.
No End to the War in Sight Despite Donald Trump's Attempts to Broke Peace
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President Trump has met with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on several occasions about ending the conflict with Russia.
Medvedev also accused European countries of pushing the narrative of an inevitable war with Russia.
"I don’t know where it came from, but this is a real mantra as they repeat it every day: 'Russians will definitely attack us,'" he said at the forum.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and despite ongoing efforts by Donald Trump and his administration to end the war, neither side has been willing to reach a peace deal.
