Putin preparing to use a nuclear bomb may now turn out to be true.

Deborah Haynes, Mark Stone and James Matthews report that,
...
"Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is on a hastily-arranged visit to Washington to talk with his counterpart and White House officials about "shared security concerns" including Ukraine and Russia, a source and an official said. (Sky News : 19 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Critically, they continue,

"The secretive, last-minute nature of the trip and a comment by a second defence minister, James Heappey - who said the conversations that Mr Wallace would be having on Tuesday were "beyond belief" - suggested particularly sensitive and serious issues would be discussed." (ibid Deborah Haynes, Mark Stone and James Matthews)

This sudden rush by the UK's Minister of Defence to Washington follows on from reports that Putin's new military 'top dog', General Sergei Surovikin (right), who was "nicknamed General Armageddon" for his ruthlessness in Syria, 

"... says the situation in the southern city of Kherson is "difficult" and residents are to be evacuated.

General Sergei Surovikin said Ukrainian troops using Himars rockets were hitting the city's infrastructure and housing. He spoke on Russian state TV.

"The Russian army will above all ensure the safe evacuation of the population" of Kherson, he said.

His rare admission of big problems was echoed by a top local official.  (Laurence Peter (left): BBC News : 19 October 2022) (my emphasis) 

The critical question is, "Why is Putin's General "Armageddon" evacuating the whole city of Kherson?"

Having 'carpet-bombed' Allepo in Syria, is this 'evacuation' of Kherson a military prelude to similarly carpet-bombing Kherson?

Guardian News : Drone Footage of Allepo devastation: YouTube: 2 years ago

Furthermore, as reported by Sean Meleady,

"There are increasing fears that the Russian President could be about to detonate a nuclear weapon in a show of strength.

It comes as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace cancelled giving evidence to MPs at short notice to head to the US capital to talk to his American counterparts for crisis talks. US President Joe Biden has claimed that the world is closer to nuclear war today than it has been at any point since The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962." (Express : 19 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Let us also remind ourselves of South African born and raised into late teenage-hood during the 'apartheid' era, Elon Musk,  after his recent 'chit-chat' with Putin.

Musk 'warned' about Putin using a nuclear bomb if Ukraine's Crimea was ever attempted to be re-taken from Putin's Russia by Ukraine's army.

He is now also pushing the long dead Minsk2 protocols, of which Merkel and Putin were the central authors, as a way to appease Putin and thus end his war with Ukraine.

 Hindustan Times : 18 October 2022

 Andriy Zagorodnyuk (left) is correct in arguing that,

"With his armies in retreat and his invasion of Ukraine rapidly unraveling, Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently resorted to nuclear saber-rattling. This has caused widespread international alarm and is fueling mounting calls for Ukraine to reach a compromise with the Kremlin (cf. Elon Musk) in order to avert World War III.

The current rush to appease Moscow is deeply unnerving and reflects a shortsighted failure to appreciate the appalling security implications of bowing down to Russian intimidation. Giving in to Putin’s nuclear blackmail would not end the war in Ukraine. What it would do is set a disastrous precedent that makes a future nuclear war far more likely while encouraging dozens of countries to acquire nuclear arsenals of their own. (The Atlantic : 18 Otober 2022) (my emphasis)

We now learn from John Varga (right) that,

"Vladimir Putin is facing a serious Chechen crisis, after army refuseniks and Kadyrov loyalists engaged in a major armed confrontation over the weekend. The fighting has raised fears that the Islamic republic may be sliding back into civil war and bloody strife, that afflicted the country for a large part of the 1990s." (Express : 18 October 2022) (my emphasis)

With

• Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on a hastily-arranged visit to Washington
• General Sergei Surovikin asserting that the Russian army will above all ensure the safe evacuation of the population" of Kherson
• Chechen army refuseniks and Kadyrov loyalists engaged in a major armed confrontation over the weekend and, above all,
•  Putin's armies in retreat and his invasion of Ukraine rapidly unraveling,

Putin has nowhere to turn to.

What may previously have been viewed as Putin 'bluffing' about using a nuclear bomb in his war with Ukraine may actually turn out to be true. 

 

 STOP PRESS!!

 (8:29 PM GMT+1) Mark Trevelyan (left) reports that,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he was introducing martial law in four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine that Moscow claimed last month as its own territory but is struggling to defend from Ukrainian advances.

In televised remarks to members of his Security Council, Putin boosted the security powers of all Russia's regional governors and ordered the creation of a special coordinating council under Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to step up the faltering war effort." (Reuters : 19 October 2022) (my emphasis)

Brendan Cole : Newsweek : 19 October 2022

Mark Trevelyan goes on to further report that,

"He [Putin] said the "entire system of state administration", not only the specialised security agencies, must be geared to supporting what Russia calls its "special military operation"."

Typically, the imposition of martial law accompanies curfews; the suspension of civil law, civil rights, and habeas corpus; and the application or extension of military law or military justice to civilians. Civilians defying martial law may be subjected to military tribunal (court-martial). (Wikipedia)

In effect, Putin is placing Russia on a war footing.

(to be continued)