Former NATO commander warns Vladimir Putin could order ‘horrific’ nuclear escalation in Ukraine

A former top NATO commander has warned there’s a very real prospect that Vladimir Putin could escalate the war in Ukraine with a nuclear strike.

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A former NATO commander has warned that Vladimir Putin could escalate the war in Ukraine by sending in 600,000 troops, and could conceivably decide to launch a tactical nuclear strike.

Sir James Everard, who served as NATO’s deputy supreme allied commander in Europe, said the only way out for Mr Putin now was to “significantly escalate” his forces.

Speaking to The Sun, Sir James said Mr Putin was “in trouble” and risked being toppled by his own generals if a solid victory in Ukraine was not secured.

“He is in a terrible place. It was entirely of his own making,” he said.

“I can’t see him achieving his objectives without escalating conventionally.”

Vladimir Putin seen with a thick blanket over his legs during the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow. Picture: Supplied.

Sir James quoted reports about the latest Telegram post from the Wagner Group – a mercenary group alleged to be heavily involved in the conflict and known to have close ties to the Russian state – claiming Moscow would need to mobilise “600,000 to 800,000 men” for “the total defeat of Ukraine”.

The post’s author did not explain the logic behind that figure, but it is being touted as an illustration of the scale of Mr Putin’s challenge in Ukraine.

Sir James warned the increasingly isolated autocrat could use nukes in the wake of Ukraine securing a $48 billion finance and military aid package from the United States, which experts have said could turn the tide further in Ukraine’s favour.

“Applying human logic to the problem, it would seem to be a crazy thing to do,” he said.

“I think it would represent a grand strategic failure, and I cannot believe the supporters he has around the world wouldn’t melt away. It would mean more isolation.

“But you know, as some have said, it’s an ‘existential threat’ (for Russia). Existential is a hard end, isn’t it?

“Where Putin has an advantage over the West is that he has a family of nuclear weapons, from the very small to the big city destroyers. In the UK we have the city destroyers, but not the small ones.

“Perhaps for Putin, nuclear escalation isn’t as big as we see it to be. I still think it would be horrific.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the annual parade. Picture: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP

He was referring to the prospect of Russia using a tactical nuclear strike, with a lower yield nuclear weapon, in an effort to break the deadlock.

Mr Putin himself has repeatedly raised the spectre of nuclear weapons during the conflict.

Russia had expected Kyiv to capitulate within days when it first launched its invasion at the end of February.

Russian forces have instead found themselves bogged down in a slow grinding war against Ukraine – even now being pushed back, after initially pushing forward towards the capital in the hope of executing a blitzkrieg-style win.

And with Ukraine now a quagmire of damaged cities and burnt out Russian vehicles, all eyes are on what Mr Putin will try to do next to change the dynamic.

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has warned that Russia may revert to more brutal tactics if it doesn’t start winning on the battlefield.

Speaking at a conference on the future of European security, Mr Wallace said Mr Putin still had one sick trick in his “back pocket” that he said everyone should be concerned about.

He said the ailing despot could unleash a wave of brutality on Ukrainians that could involve rape, bombings and a murder blitz.

“If you win your war by killing, murdering, raping, bombing civilians, breaching all human rights, corruption and that becomes the battle winning components, the message that sends is incredibly dangerous,” he said.

“You don’t need training, kit, rule of law, you just need more brutality and be prepared to destroy everything in your path.

“That is still the untested component. They are not interested in occupying Mariupol – they’ve destroyed it, that’s why it matters.”

He added: “If Putin is successful in Ukraine then watch out.”

Mr Putin and other participants carry portraits of their relatives – WWII soldiers – as they take part in the Immortal Regiment march. Picture: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP

Those tactics may very well already be in effect following devastating reports of Ukrainian women being raped and killed by invading Russian soldiers.

For example the body of the “beautiful” Karina Yershova, 22, was discovered mercilessly dumped in a garden in war-crime ravaged Bucha.

Her mutilated corpse was found with “tears” and “wounds”, while all her nails – apart from one – had been torn off.

Police told her family that Karina had been murdered and tortured – but didn’t disclose all the details as they were “so horrific”.

The 22-year-old was allegedly raped, shot in the back of the head and discarded in a backyard by Mr Putin’s soldiers.

Mr Putin today oversaw a meagre military parade, where he at times looked frail, including at one point when he sat huddled with a blanket.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was republished with permission