Israeli intelligence firm ImageSat International (ISI) has warned that there has been an “irregular presence” of Russian strategic bombers which have been seen at a nuclear weapons base.

The released satellite images could show that Vladimir Putin could be preparing his bombers to attack the newly formed annexes.

The Kremlin warned on Friday that any attack on the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia which are now part of the Russian Federation could be met with a nuclear response.

On Saturday afternoon Putin was told now is the time to “use every opportunity” to defend Russian territory and launch “low yield tactical nuclear weapons” in the Lyman region after Ukrainian forces have allegedly pushed out more than 5,000 terrified Russian troops.

Read more on Russia-Ukraine war:

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Fighter jets arrive in Belarus with an ‘expected 500,000 mobilised soldiers’ as Putin is preparing a massive attack on Kyiv

Chechnya tells Putin to launch a ‘low yield tactical nuclear weapons’ as more than 5,000 Russia troops flee Lyman

The Israeli analysts think the bombers came from the Engels air base, which is the home of the 121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

They said, “Through ongoing Patterns-of-Life, the system indicates that Engels air base is the possible departure point of the strategic bombers detected in Olenya.”

The satellite photos were taken showed three TU-95s on 25 September and then on 21 August there was four TU-160s at the airbase.

A war analyst on social media with the address @dl5577 wrote, “On September 26, information was received from several unrelated sources in different army units located in the Kherson region and in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia, that troops began to be issued with radioactive protection suits.

“They were also given iodine and other drugs designed to protect against radiation.”

The source added that, “A position of potassium iodide for the amount of almost 5 million rubles (£74,490) appeared in the state procurements of Moscow.”

Ukrainian forces “surrounded” around 5,500 Russian troops on Saturday morning and by the afternoon the Russian Defence Ministry claims that they have evacuated all their troops from the Lyman area.

The Chechan warlord and very close ally of Putin Ramzan Kadrov told the Russian President that “more drastic measures” should now be taken.

Kadyrov wrote on Telegram, “Use every opportunity and every weapon to defend OUR territory.

“In my personal opinion, more drastic measures should be taken, up to the declaration of martial law in the border areas and the use of low-yield nuclear weapons.”

The Russian Defence Ministry announced at around 2:20pm on Saturday, UK time, that all 5,500 troops have now fled the city of Lyman in eastern Ukraine “in connection with the creation of a threat of encirclement.”

The Ministry said, “In connection with the creation of a threat of encirclement, allied troops were withdrawn from the settlement of Krasny Liman to more advantageous lines,” this will be seen as another major loss to Putin.