Poll: The number of Russians who think a nuclear strike on Ukraine is "right" is growing
Those who approve of nuclear strikes tend to be older and get their news from Russian state media
One in three Russians thinks a nuclear strike on Ukraine is justified, according to a survey by the Levada Centre, a Russian independent sociological organisation.
In the poll, published on 4 July, 10% of respondents said they believed such an attack could "definitely" be justified, while 24% said it was "probably" justified.
The figures, collected in June 2024, represent an increase of 5 percentage points over the past year.
While the majority of respondents – 52% – oppose the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, this is down from 56% in April 2023.
The poll showed that those who approve of nuclear strikes tend to be older and get their news from Russian state media.
Those who oppose are younger and get their news from YouTube.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in an interview published on 25 May that the US has told Russia that if it uses nuclear weapons, the US response will be to use conventional weapons against Russian forces in Ukraine.
"The Americans have told the Russians that if you detonate a nuclear weapon, even if it doesn't kill anyone, we will hit all your targets (positions) in Ukraine with conventional weapons, we will destroy you all," Sikorsky told the Guardian.
Sikorsky added that both China and India have warned Russia not to use nuclear weapons.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened Ukraine and the West with nuclear weapons since the start of his full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Russia and Belarus began the second phase of tactical nuclear weapons exercises last month amid escalating tensions between Moscow and the West.
In May, Russia said that the exercise was a response to "provocative statements and threats by some Western officials against the Russian Federation".
In response, a White House official said on 7 June that the United States may have to increase the deployment of strategic nuclear weapons amid growing threats from China, Russia and other adversaries.
Background. As a reminder, Kyiv plans to submit a draft resolution on nuclear safety and security of Ukraine's nuclear facilities to the UN General Assembly, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
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