Moscow will use nuclear weapons if Ukraine takes control of 'Russian land': Ex-Russian president

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - If Ukraine’s counteroffensive is successful and Kyiv takes control of “Russian land,” then Moscow will use nuclear weapons, Russia’s former president warned Sunday.

“Just imagine that the NATO-supported ukrobanderovtsy’s offensive turned out successful, and they took away a part of our land,” Dmitry Medvedev wrote in English on Twitter/X, using a Russian term meant to smear Ukrainian nationalists. Russia currently counts parts of Ukraine it illegally annexed last year and in 2014 as part of its own territory.

In such a case, then Russia "would have to, following the President’s degree of 02.06.2020, use the nuclear weapon,” added Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council.

Medvedev argued that the Russian Armed Forces are defending its citizens and their land while also “preventing global conflict.”

“That’s why our enemies must worship our warriors. They are keeping global nuclear fire from flaring up,” he said, as Russia’s war on Ukraine nears the 18-month mark.​​​​​​​