Would Putin Use Nukes to Turn Tide in Ukraine?

With an atomic stockpile rivaling all other nations and a war effort in Ukraine turning into a taxing slog due to mismanagement and bad intelligence, a tactical nuclear strike that swiftly shifts momentum in his favor could appear appealing to Russian President Vladimir Putin, though most national security analysts don't believe he's reached that level of desperation – at least not yet.

Nuclear rumors have been swirling of late. The war in Ukraine marked its six-month anniversary this week and an opposition channel on the Telegram app reported that the Russian death toll – including members of the armed forces, separatist fighters, and soldiers from private armies – has reached almost 65,000. As the figures continue to rise, there's been growing speculation that Putin is weighing how to end the fighting, with options that include admitting defeat or plotting a route to a strategic win before NATO can station more troops on Russia's border through incoming members Finland and Sweden.