The White House sees no indication that Russia will use nuclear weapons on the front
US officials have said they have no information to confirm media reports that Russia is preparing to use tactical nuclear weapons on or near the battlefield in Ukraine. Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense, said she had only seen "open source reports" suggesting Russia may be moving tactical nuclear weapons by rail. She added that the US military has seen nothing to change its own nuclear posture.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, asked about the reports, said the United States saw no reason to adjust its own strategic nuclear posture, "nor do we have any indication that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons immediately."
"Russian President Vladimir Putin has escalated the war in Ukraine by ordering a partial military mobilization, pushing through the illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine and vowing to defend Russian territory 'with any means at our disposal,' including nuclear weapons." .
The officials' comments came after The Times newspaper reported on October 3 that Putin was to conduct a nuclear test on the border with Ukraine. The London newspaper reported that NATO had warned its members about the test.