Ukraine sees no signs Russia preparing nuclear strike despite capability, official says

Russia has the capability to launch a nuclear strike “at any moment,” but Ukraine has seen no signs Moscow is preparing such an attack, a senior Ukrainian official said Friday.

In an interview with The Times, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said Russia’s nuclear arsenal gives it the technical capability to carry out a nuclear strike, but said the issue ultimately depends on Moscow's political will.

“Russia absolutely has the capability to carry out a nuclear strike at any moment and at any distance. Its nuclear capabilities allow it to accomplish such a task. But this is, first and foremost, a question of political will,” he said.

“I have not seen any indicators of preparation for a nuclear strike. If there were, I would know,” he added.

Budanov also said Russia appeared prepared to carry out its recent threats of a large-scale attack on central Kyiv after the Kremlin warned Western countries to evacuate their embassies and suggested its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile could be used.

He said fears circulating in Kyiv about an imminent nuclear strike were unfounded, but warned that Russia’s arsenal remained a serious threat.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia has achieved nuclear capabilities with “no counterparts in the world” as work on improving its nuclear deterrence forces has continued uninterrupted since the early 2000s.