Vladimir Putin might unleash chemical weapons in just a few weeks as he feels increasingly “cornered” and “rattled”.

Ex-Nato commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon has said that Russia’s president is so desperate to reclaim the region of Kursk that he might release devastating chemical weapons.


“Putin is absolutely rattled,” he said, speaking to The Sun.

“He could have lost up to 700,000 soldiers already.

Putin

An ex-Nato commander has said Putin has been “rattled” by recent Ukrainian attacks

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“Now, with Ukraine hitting back using US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles, he knows his forces in Kursk are sitting ducks.”

As the Ukrainian capital launched its first US-made ATACMS missiles, a Russian military depot was hit in Bryansk – on the 1,000th day of the Russian invasion.

The attack was promptly followed by Ukraine launching UK-made Storm Shadow missiles two days later.

The move infuriated Moscow, and led to Russia firing off an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time throughout the war.

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On the same day, the Kremlin approved changes to the nation’s nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold to consider a nuclear strike.

However, the ex-commander has claimed that Putin’s moves are nothing but “bluff and bluster”, insisting that Nato’s intelligence and weapons systems would prevent Putin from carrying out a successful nuclear attack.

Still, de Bretton-Gordon has said that Russians are increasingly using a chemical called chloropicrin. He said: “If Putin substituted that chloropicrin with the Novichok that he used in Salisbury, then, thousands of people could be killed.”

Additionally, he suggested that whoever takes ahold of the strategic region of Kursk might determine the war’s final outcome.

He said: “Whoever holds Kursk come Christmas time will be on the front foot for the expected Trump negotiations and ceasefire at the end of January next year.”

Zelenskyy

Over the weekend, President Biden gave authorised permission for Ukraine to fire the American-made missiles inside Russia

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Encouraging Nato to supply Ukraine with resources, he added: “Hopefully these last four weeks are really beneficial to Ukraine.

“And hopefully it’s better late than never rather than too late.”

Over the weekend, president Biden gave authorised permission for Ukraine to fire the American-made missiles inside Russia.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Storm Shadow rockets are able to dodge air defences, costing around £800,000 and capable of travelling at speeds up to 600 miles per hour.