Putin’s nuclear arsenal is crumbling. Ukraine can take it out for good

It’s high time that the West’s more timid leaders understood that the nuclear threats coming out of Moscow are all “bluff and bluster”, aimed at them and their wobbling lips.

Leftist politicians must realise that it is our nuclear deterrent, in the main, which ensures that Putin will not press the strategic nuclear button. The significance of this deterrent is precisely why the likes of Jeremy Corbyn must never gain power in this country. Starmer, who now seems the odds-on bet to be the next Prime Minister, must hold firm – even if a fair proportion of his cabinet have voted against it in the past, a reason in itself to keep them from sitting on the government front benches.

It’s evident that a nuclear deterrent can be a powerful tool of control. Putin’s nuclear bravado tactics, with the leader making almost daily threats since February 25 this year, seeks to ensure that Ukraine cannot fight Russia unhindered due to Western fears of retributive escalation.

The tide of war is beginning to turn in Kyiv’s favour now they can begin to strike targets in Russia. A further push is necessary. In order to ensure a Ukrainian victory, those in power must disregard Putin’s hollow words and see the reality of Russia’s ailing nuclear capabilities.

The tactical nuclear threat peddled by Putin and his gangsters is empty: take it from me, I’ve been countering nuclear terrorism and threats for nearly 40 years. I suspect, as do most of my “intelligent” chums, that the weapons are in such a state of disrepair that, even if the planes or trucks which carry them can actually move, they may not detonate.

All of the nuclear drills carried out this week have been done with dummy warheads because the real ones are likely bust. Their concept of operations were designed for the 1960’s and 70’s, when we did not have the sophisticated intelligence assets we do today. Putin did not need to tell us about his nuclear drills as we probably knew before he did.

Ukraine now has the ability to strike 400kms into Russia. This means they can take out Putin’s launchers and aircraft before they have even started up. This development dramatically reduces the likelihood of a Russian tactical strike.

There is no need for those European leaders too frightened – or too close to the Kremlin – to worry that, if Nato gets involved to stop Putin’s tactical nuclear strike, World War 3 will begin. This will simply never happen: it will be non-nuclear Ukraine stopping Armageddon, because even if Russia did manage to fire a small nuclear weapon at Ukraine, the US and UK would have to respond in kind.

That is our doctrine, which Putin probably knows and understands better than most. He might be a tyrant bent on dominating Europe as his idol Hitler once tried to do, but he is more rational than the Nazi leader. As Putin looks at the disintegration of his “special military operation”, he knows if he goes nuclear, he will be responsible for the destruction of his beloved “fatherland”.

Unfortunately, I don’t think those vying to lead us through the next parliament understand this. The same is true of European leaders, save in the Baltic states, who use the excuse of nuclear war to justify their actions to hold back their complete support to Kyiv.

You cannot hedge your bets when tyrants have weapons that can destroy the planet. We only have until November to get this done, where the possibility of a Trump victory adds a spanner to the works. We must help Ukraine to vanquish the Russians, safe in the knowledge there will be no nuclear strikes on Europe. Indeed, Kyiv could act to destroy Putin’s crumbling nuclear arsenal at any moment – and Russia knows it.