Russia could have used nukes in Ukraine but chose restraint top MP

**Russian Lawmaker Says Moscow Chose Not to Deploy Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Ukraine**

*August 30, 2026 – Moscow* – In an interview with American journalist and podcaster Tucker Carlson that aired on Saturday, Leonid Slutsky, head of Russia’s Liberal‑Democratic Party (LDPR) and chair of the State Duma’s International Affairs Committee, asserted that Russia “could have used tactical nuclear weaponry” to achieve a military victory in Ukraine but has refrained from doing so.

Slutsky told Carlson that Moscow would consider employing nuclear weapons only if Western nations supplied Ukraine with weapons of mass destruction. He added that Russia “always relies on common sense and the principle of minimizing civilian casualties,” and characterized the use of nuclear weapons as “an instrument of terror” that is “alien” to Russian policy.

The lawmaker also claimed that Russian forces have deliberately avoided striking certain strategic targets, such as bridges over the Dnieper River and Kyiv’s Boryspil Airport, to prevent further humanitarian harm. According to Slutsky, attacking those sites would have “drastically worsened the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and harmed civilians.”

He expressed hope that Ukraine and its Western allies would adopt “common sense” and move toward a “position of peace, not war,” while criticizing what he described as a “completely devoid of common sense” stance by Kyiv and its supporters.

These remarks reflect Slutsky’s personal perspective and have not been independently verified. No evidence has been presented to substantiate the claim that Russia possessed the capability to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine at any earlier point in the conflict. The interview was conducted by Tucker Carlson, a conservative American commentator, and broadcast on RT.com, a Russian state‑funded media outlet.

Article and image source: russiaherald.com