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Russia is threatening to use nuclear weapons if Ukrainian forces
continue to fight pro-Russia separatists, the Ukrainian Defense
Minister is claiming.
On Monday, Defense Minister Valeriy Heltey wrote on his Facebook page
that Russia is making threats of a nuclear attack against the country
if the war continues.
"The Russian side has threatened on several occasions across
unofficial channels that, in the case of continued resistance they are
ready to use a tactical nuclear weapon against us," Heletey wrote.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has escalated rapidly after
more than 1,000 Russian troops poured across the border last week.
Fighting has picked up between both sides, and there are reports that
Russian troops massacred hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers who were
trying to retreat.
The alleged mass killing took place outside a besieged city about 22
miles east of Donetsk. Reports say that Russian troops initially
agreed to let the Ukrainian troops retreat, but then reneged and
opened fire, leaving hundreds of bodies littered along an agreed
retreat route.
Lt. Col. Nikolai Gordienko, of the Ukrainian National Guard, said:
"They were given the corridor to exit and they were shot. It is a
violation of international conventions."
The international community has condemned Russia's actions and
undertaken a series of sanctions meant to squeeze them out with
economic pressure. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has even
claimed that Russia is effectively waging war against the entire EU.
"It is the fact that Russia is in a war state against Ukraine. That
means it is in a state of war against a country which would like to be
closely integrated with the EU. Practically Russia is in a state of
war against Europe," she said.
"That means we need to help Ukraine to… defend its territory and its
people and to help militarily, especially with the military materials
to help Ukraine to defend itself because today Ukraine is fighting a
war on behalf of all Europe," the leader of the former Soviet state
said.
But amid the pressure and reports that Russia is making nuclear
threats against Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has remained unmoved. This
week he reportedly told outgoing European Commission President Jose
Manual Barroso that he could "take Kiev in two weeks" if he wanted,
Italian media reports have said.
