Russia Says ‘No Need’ to Use Nuclear Weapons in Ukraine

Russia Says ‘No Need’ to Use Nuclear Weapons in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attend the international military-technical forum Army-2022 at Patriot Congress and Exhibition Centre in the Moscow region on Aug. 15, 2022. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

MOSCOW—Russia has “no need” to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, its defense minister said on Tuesday, describing media speculation that Moscow might deploy nuclear or chemical weapons in the conflict as “absolute lies.”

“From a military point of view, there is no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine to achieve the set goals. The main purpose of Russian nuclear weapons is to deter a nuclear attack,” Sergei Shoigu said during a speech at an international security conference in Moscow.