West must hold its nerve in face of Putin’s nuclear sabre rattling… Vlad knows he’s in trouble, says ex-Nato chief

A FORMER Nato main yesterday admitted the satellite was ­facing a “dangerous moment” — arsenic subject chiefs war-gamed what determination Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin whitethorn marque next.

Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a decorated British Army commander, urged the West to “hold its nerve” — and argued the rogue president was peddling atomic rhetoric due to the fact that “he’s successful trouble”.

He said Putin present had constricted options aft a week of escalation successful which a almighty Oreshnik intermediate scope ballistic rocket was fired astatine Dnipro successful eastbound Ukraine.

Ukrainian commanders, however, broke ranks to importune World War Three had started and Lieutenant General Sir Rob Magowan, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, told MPs: “If the British Army was asked to combat tonight, it would combat tonight.”

But Mr de Bretton-Gordon told The Sun connected Sunday: “Nuclear Armageddon is disconnected the table. That’s not going to happen. The hypersonic rocket that was fired connected Ukraine this week is inactive a trial missile.

“And there’s nary mode Putin tin occurrence a tactical atomic rocket either. These are Iskander missiles with a scope of 500km.

“Now Ukraine has UK-made Storm Shadow missiles and US ATACMSs, they tin instrumentality them out.

“I don’t deliberation Nato would basal by and let Putin to occurrence a atomic missile, but that’s the happening vexing Western leaders astatine the moment.

“They cognize they can’t marque a mistake connected this.”

All eyes are connected Putin to spot what helium does next.

He has an arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles — susceptible of carrying atomic warheads — astatine his disposal.

He could usage short-range nukes to people the battlefield successful Ukraine and Nato countries specified arsenic Poland.

His astir terrifying enactment is the 65ft Poseidon — an underwater nuke with a 10,000km scope and almighty capable to make a 1,500ft question of radioactive seawater that could swamp Britain.

Even so, Mr de Bretton-Gordon, a chemic weapons expert, urged the West to basal firm.

He said: “Putin is successful a hard position.

“The information he’s being truthful bellicose is due to the fact that helium knows he’s successful trouble.

“The 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops successful Kursk are sitting ducks. They are successful assembly areas and successful scope of the Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles.

“The rhetoric from Moscow has gone up successful measurement but the concern remains the aforesaid — whoever holds Kursk astatine Christmas volition person the precocious manus successful immoderate bid talks.

“Kursk is simply a hellhole of a bargaining chip. It’s cardinal to the ­Russian psyche, hallowed crushed for them. It’s wherever they defeated the Nazis successful 1943.

“This is, of course, a unsafe moment. People are petrified. But truthful agelong arsenic the West’s resoluteness remains strong, Putin’s options are limited.

“Grey portion acts of sabotage — deniable and improbable to beryllium the spark that ignites struggle — volition undoubtedly summation successful the days ahead. So excessively volition the Cold War atomic rhetoric, but the Russians are truly stretched. They’ve mislaid hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

“If I was Sir Keir Starmer oregon Joe Biden I would beryllium saying to Putin, ‘If you bash negociate to occurrence a tactical atomic weapon, the overwhelming accepted effect volition decorativeness your ‘special subject operation’.”

Putin has vowed to usage the Oreshnik rocket again successful “combat conditions” aft launching it connected Dnipro successful effect to Ukrainian attacks connected Russia with Storm Shadows and long-range ATACMS.

Matthew Savill, subject sciences manager astatine the RUSI think-tank, said: “There is worldly Russia does to wounded Ukraine but this was sending a connection to us, arsenic Ukraine’s planetary supporters.

“They were saying, ‘Do you truly privation to play chickenhearted with us, erstwhile we person a batch of weapons similar this?’.

“They were specifically messaging Europe fixed our ain weaknesses successful rocket defence and shortages of intermediate scope missiles.”

He added that sabotage was different concern.

Russia is suspected of instigating 2 attempts this period to enactment explosives connected cargo planes bound for North America.

One caught occurrence astatine a courier hub successful Germany and the different ignited successful a warehouse successful Birmingham.

Putin has besides lowered Russia’s doctrine connected the usage of nukes to accidental an onslaught from a non-nuclear state, if backed by a atomic power, volition beryllium treated arsenic a associated assault.

He has repeatedly laid retired atomic reddish lines since invading Ukraine, each of which the West has crossed.

Global leaders indispensable determine if they are prepared to gamble again.

Polish PM Donald Tusk warned: “The menace is superior and existent erstwhile it comes to planetary conflict.”