Russia cannot sustain renewed campaign of attacks on Ukraine, officials say

Western officials have said they do not currently see the situation as a ‘nuclear crisis’.

A woman carries a box with food as locals receive humanitarian goods in Sviatohirsk, Ukraine, Tuesday (Francisco Seco/PA) (AP)

The renewed campaign of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities is not something Vladimir Putin will be able to “sustain indefinitely”, western officials have said.

The words come after Moscow launched a wave of deadly missile and drone attacks on the country’s cities and power plants this week.

Putin’s comments on nuclear use have also been described as “deeply irresponsible”, but officials have said they do not see it as a “nuclear crisis”.

A western official said the recent Russian attacks were “further barbaric assaults on the civilian population”.

Putin and his forces were accused of war crimes by the UK and allies after a wave of missile and drone strikes.

The blasts followed a barrage which killed 19 and injured scores more in cities including Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Monday.

Putin's comments about nuclear use are deeply irresponsible

Western official

One western official said: “There can be no excuse for such attacks and we absolutely support the Ukrainians in their ability to defend themselves against them.

“Russia is… rapidly exhausting its supply of long range precision munitions – in particular its air-launched cruise missiles.

“So this is not a campaign it will be able to sustain indefinitely.

“Meanwhile, Ukrainians already proved that they were able to shoot down a significant proportion of those missiles and with the additional support of the UK and other western countries… they will be better able to do so in future.”

Speaking about the Russian president’s words on nuclear usage, the official added: “Putin’s comments about nuclear use are deeply irresponsible.

“No other country is talking about nuclear use in and around Ukraine.

“We do not see this as a nuclear crisis.

“Putin should be clear that… any use at all of nuclear weapons would break a taboo on nuclear use that has held since 1945 and would lead to severe consequences for Russia as well as for everybody else.”