Is Someone Sabotaging Putin’s Nuke Tests?

An interesting piece in The Mirror suggests that Vladimir Putin has been trying to perform a test detonation of a nuclear weapon but that either a saboteur or technical failures may have prevented it. The detonation of a nuclear device in a “test” would essentially be a warning shot to Ukraine and the West that Putin is prepared to escalate the war. The Mirror’s Will Stewart and Shawaz Ahmad report:

Vladimir Putin’s tried to detonate a nuke but his plans were “sabotaged”, an insider has claimed.

Top brass at the Kremlin are “sabotaging” his plans to use atomic weapons or there may be issues due to technical failures, it is claimed.

In recent days, there have been a series of NOTAM messages (Notice to air missions) and linked Russian navigation warnings indicating tests or live firing drills.

So far, there has been few indications of any major testing, although the final date for such disruption in the Barents Sea is October 22.

At the same time there are claims that earlier this month Putin ordered two nuclear missile tests which did not in fact take place.

Valery Solovey, an expert on the president and former professor at Moscow’s prestigious Institute of International Relations [MGIMO], a training school for spies and diplomats said: “[Putin’s] decision on the use of tactical nuclear weapons [in the Ukraine conflict] would no doubt face resistance.

“I don’t know how effective the resistance will be but I will indicate [that] nuclear tests were supposed to be held over the past two weeks, one in the Barents sea, underwater, and the second underground, in Arkhangelsk region.

“Both times the tests were not held.”

He alleged: “The reason is that before the launch, or more accurately, before the use of tactical nuclear weapons, it is necessary to make sure these weapons are fully operable…