The commander of Ukraine’s ground forces on Monday said the world “should be worried” about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons.
“I must agree with you that we are and should be worried, and I do believe that such a threat really exists, and we have to take it into account,” Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy said of Putin’s threats in an interview aired on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday.
Syrskiy’s comments come after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Sunday called his counterparts in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Turkey to warn that Ukraine is preparing a “provocation” with a radioactive bomb.
Reports and readouts show officials in the U.S., the United Kingdom and France rejected the allegations, but concerns were heightened that Russia may be attempting to stoke a pretext for its own attack.
“Of course I think we are winning, because first and foremost we are winning mentally, and we have success on the front line,” said Syrskiy, who is leading Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
After recent battlefield setbacks, Russia has appeared to retaliate with a renewed surge of strikes throughout Ukraine, targeting the country’s infrastructure and power grid ahead of winter.
Putin also continues to provoke international concern over the potential use of nuclear weapons during the war.
Syrskiy says the war will be over “when Ukrainian flags will fly all over our borders, including Crimea.”