Vladimir Putin is preparing to conduct a nuclear test on the Ukrainian borders which is a significant escalation of the war to date as Ukrainian forces are making the largest gains since the war started.

Putin is losing vast amounts troops, military hardware and territories which are rapidly being retaken.

The Times reported that there is evidence that a secret nuclear division is heading towards the Ukrainian border as a result of Putin’s failures on the ground.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on the 1 October that Putin is seriously considering to use nuclear weapons and on Monday the British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also warned that the use of nuclear weapons exists, but he believes this is unlikely.

Under the supervision of the American special services they are assessing Putin’s entourage over the possible use of such deadly devices.

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Putin could now go nuclear as Ukraine make their biggest breakthrough since the war started in Russia’s annexed regions

NATO warns Moscow could be preparing large scale nuclear readiness as a nuclear train and Sub are on the move

The CIA and other intelligence agencies have stepped up their efforts to track any actions which indicates that Putin has ordered the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Russia has lots of small aircraft which are capable of using conventional missiles and it would be very easy for Putin to replace these with atomic bombs, which would make it difficult if not impossible to know of this in advance.

A senior defence source warned it is most likely that Putin would us a nuclear weapon in the Black Sea and it is “not impossible” he could use a tactical weapon in the Ukraine.

The Source added, “They could misfire and accidentally hit a Russian city close to the Ukrainian border, such as Belgorod.”

Military analyst Konrad Musyka warned the deployment of the secret nuclear division could signal the start of an escalation of, which could be a precursor to large scale nuclear exercises.

However, he said this is significant that it emerged after Ukraine warned of the “very high” risk of Russia using a tactical nuclear weapon.

“It could be a form of signalling to the West that Moscow is escalating,” Muzyka said, in reference to Putin’s nuclear war warning on Friday.

The White House warned Moscow that if such weapons are sued in Ukraine Washington will respond decisively and warned the Kremlin their will “catastrophic consequences” but stopped short of saying what this would be.