(Dan Tri) – Since the end of 2022, the US has begun to actively prepare for the risk of Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, US media said.

US President Joe Biden (Photo: Reuters).

CNN quoted senior US officials as saying on March 9 that US President Joe Biden’s administration is particularly concerned that Russia could use tactical or battlefield nuclear weapons.

The US government made such an assessment based on many different signs and sensitive intelligence data analysis.

Washington wants to come up with the best response plan if Russia actually uses nuclear weapons in the conflict in Ukraine.

According to US assessments, one of the events that could cause Russia to use nuclear weapons is Ukraine regaining control of the city of Kherson, an area that Russia announced to annex after a controversial referendum.

At that time, Russia accused Ukraine of using a `dirty bomb`, an accusation that Washington said Moscow made up as a pretext for a nuclear attack.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made a series of calls to defense officials in the US, UK, France and Turkey in October 2022, informing them that the Kremlin was `concerned about these actions`.

The US has rejected Russia’s accusations, but also raised questions about Moscow’s true purpose in making such accusations, including the assertion that Russia is preparing for a nuclear attack.

However, CNN’s source said: `The US has never discovered intelligence suggesting that Russia is taking steps to mobilize its nuclear forces to carry out such an attack.`

Even so, US officials remain uncertain whether Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons.

Unlike strategic nuclear weapons, which are capable of destroying entire cities, tactical or battlefield nuclear weapons are more compact, can be secretly moved and used from established conventional systems.

The United States also works closely with allies to develop contingency plans for a Russian nuclear attack and to send deterrent messages to Russia about the consequences of such an attack.

Russia has repeatedly stated its nuclear doctrine.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times newspaper cited leaked presentations for Russian naval officers allegedly prepared between 2008 and 2014, stating that the threshold for using short-range tactical nuclear weapons of