The kremlin is reconsidering the effectiveness of nuclear saber-rattling as part of its efforts to influence the ongoing Western policy debate about supporting Ukraine and specifically permitting Ukraine to use Western-provided weapons against military objects in russia, writes the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to an article in The Washington Post, cited by analysts, russian president vladimir putin is beginning to realize that his nuclear threats are starting to lose their power over Western officials.
In response, the Kremlin is likely developing a new, more nuanced and limited informational response to future Western approval of long-range strikes into Russia.
An unnamed russian official claimed that russian officials have realized that nuclear threats "don't frighten anyone", and a russian academic with close ties to senior russian diplomats claimed that russia's partners in the "Global South" are dissatisfied with russia's nuclear threats.
"The kremlin's thinly veiled threats of nuclear confrontation are aimed at disrupting and delaying key decision points in Western political discussions about further military assistance to Ukraine. ISW continues to assess that russia is very unlikely to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine or elsewhere", - the report said.