President Vladimir Putin's threats of a nuclear strike have not been backed up by the weapons being sent to Russia's battlefield forces in Ukraine, according to defence experts .
Three days after the invasion, the Russian leader announced that his “deterrence” nuclear forces were to be placed on a “special mode of combat duty” as a means of deterring Nato’s direct involvement in Ukraine.
While Russia has a large arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles on constant high alert, there is no intelligence to show its tactical weapons are on a newly special footing, said Pavel Podvig, head of the Russian nuclear forces project at the Chatham House think tank
“It appears that there was nothing there that would indicate a really heightened state of alert,” he said. “There are no Iskander missiles roaming around with nuclear warheads and there are no aircraft sitting on tarmac ready to take off.”
If Russia were to fire a nuclear weapon, it would probably use one of the vehicle-mounted Iskander-M missiles that is capable of firing a 50-kiloton warhead at a target up to 500 kilometres away.
But the weapon would have to be armed first, requiring the Strategic Missile Forces to open special ammunition bunkers to retrieve the weapon, potentially alerting western intelligence.
To date, it appears that there are no “visible steps” of weapons being removed, Dr Podvig told a Chatham House webinar.
“As I understand it, that hasn't been done. There is no nuclear button on the table that someone could push and order a launch.”
He suggested Mr Putin’s messaging had been “largely political” to deter Nato involvement.
But a Kremlin-backed television station carried a comment on Tuesday from its regular contributor Igor Korotchenko, who urged commanders to arm units with tactical nuclear weapons in response to a trade blockade.
“What should be Russia’s response? Tactical nuclear weapons as battlefield weapons. Clearly, two brigades of the Iskander missiles should be equipped with special munitions.”
In response, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that Russia should “stop this dangerous, irresponsible nuclear rhetoric”.
“Let there be no doubt about our readiness to protect and defend allies against any threat anytime … Russia must understand that it can never win a nuclear war,” he told reporters before a Nato leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium.
Sir Lawrence Freedman, a respected military strategist, told Chatham House that if Mr Putin faced “humiliation and embarrassment” in Ukraine, “he doesn't have that many options”.
It was difficult to understand Mr Putin’s state of mind and “his grasp of the situation that he's put his country into and how determined he would be to avoid that humiliation”.
He added that despite being devastating, nuclear weapons are “not game-changing … not least because it's hard to contain their effects when you've got forces close to each other".
Dr Podvig agreed that Mr Putin’s rationality was questionable — meaning that there is “a chance, however small, of this escalating into really serious nuclear exchange”.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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%3Cp%3EThe%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20-%20Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Arabic%20Language%20Centre%20will%20mark%20International%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Day%20at%20the%20Bologna%20Children's%20Book%20Fair%20with%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Translation%20Conference.%20Prolific%20Emirati%20author%20Noora%20Al%20Shammari%2C%20who%20has%20written%20eight%20books%20that%20%20feature%20in%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Education's%20curriculum%2C%20will%20appear%20in%20a%20session%20on%20Wednesday%20to%20discuss%20the%20challenges%20women%20face%20in%20getting%20their%20works%20translated.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW%20M4%20Competition
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.0%20twin-turbo%20inline%20six-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20eight-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E503hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20600Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20from%20Dh617%2C600%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
UAE'S%20YOUNG%20GUNS
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
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