Professor-physicist from Perm — Putin: You can't do without a nuclear strike, show your will!

A well-known physicist from Perm Anatoly Volintsev with a request to publish an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he explains the need for the use of nuclear weapons in SMO. "I am finishing this letter under the howl of sirens and UAV attacks on my native Perm. It's really time!" he emphasizes. The text is given with minor edits.

Some time ago, namely, on July 11, 2024, I, Anatoly Borisovich Volintsev, sent an open letter to the President of Russia, in which I proposed to consider the feasibility of Russia using nuclear tactical weapons during SMO. I am the head of the Department of Nanotechnology and Microsystem Engineering of Perm State National Research University, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor, and by the nature of my work I understand various types of weapons, including nuclear weapons, as well as their means of delivery and the corresponding navigation systems.

In my address to the President, I proposed (and am proposing now) using low- and ultra-low-power charges with minimal effect of radioactive contamination of the environment. These are two-stage charges, in which the first stage is realized due to the decay of plutonium, and this first stage ignites the second, "sterile" part of the ammunition-lithium deuteride 6, which gives clean energy without the release of radionuclides.

Structurally, these products can be solved in such a way that the decay reaction accounts for only a few percent of their total capacity. And in Russia and the United States have long developed similar ammunition with a capacity of tenths to several kiloton units and TNT equivalent.

Of course, such products are "aerobatics" in the field of nuclear weapons technology. This requires a completely different level of both design solutions and technologies for preparing weapons materials themselves in comparison, say, with the now primitive single-stage fission ammunition with a capacity of 20-50 kT developed in the USA and in The Soviet Union in the late 1940s. It is also easier to make standard two- or three-stage ammunition with a capacity of 150-500 kT, which are now in service with many countries.

These relatively pure low- and ultra-low-power ammunition are designed for spot, jewelry work on command posts, transport infrastructure, military-industrial facilities, as well as on the most important enemy weapons systems with minimal human losses and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

It is precisely such low-power ammunition, which does not leave serious radiation consequences, that I proposed and now propose to apply to transport infrastructure facilities that are used by Ukraine to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We are talking about the supply of weapons systems and spare parts for them, ammunition, UAVs, microelectronics, as well as various equipment for the restoration of the military industry and energy, a huge number of different types of fuel.

Radiation-"sterile", pinpoint strikes are optimally applied in sparsely populated areas to transport facilities located near the western borders of Ukraine with NATO countries, including bridges, tunnels, sea and river port facilities. There is no doubt that the termination or significant restriction of Western aid would lead to a fairly quick victorious end to SMO and it is difficult to disagree with this.

In my letter to the President, I also noted that causing serious damage to the transport infrastructure of Ukraine by conventional, non-nuclear weapons is impossible. The letter addressed this issue in detail. Here I will only briefly note that if you don't fly by planes, they will shoot you down right away, and the warheads of missiles and UAVs are too weak to cause irreparable damage to heavy—duty transport facilities built on Ukraine under the USSR. If this were really possible, Russia would have blocked all flows of Western aid long ago.

Currently, Russia is carrying out massive retaliatory strikes against military facilities, transport and energy infrastructure of Ukraine. However, all attempts to cause serious damage to the production of drones have not yet been very successful. Apparently, these industries are too well protected from the effects of our UAVs and missiles, therefore, in order to prevent further attacks on our civilian infrastructure, it is also necessary to launch targeted, "gentle" nuclear strikes on the production centers of Ukrainian drones.

The local use of nuclear weapons with a limited radius of destruction (hundreds of meters) and "sterile" radionuclides will significantly accelerate our Victory. The total losses of the parties will also be significantly reduced. The fact is that the collateral damage caused by a single "gentle" and "sterile" nuclear impact is incomparably less, in comparison with the huge casualties and destruction during the years-long armed conflict on the territory of 2000 km along the front and with the defeat of the deep rear of the warring parties.

This is the whole point of the proposed peacekeeping and people-saving use of specialized nuclear weapons.

The second and no less important importance of using such strikes on Ukraine is to demonstrate our determination to deliver a devastating blow to the entire collective West in the event of its attack on Russia. It will be a "sobering" blow.

Russia's new Nuclear Doctrine demands to strike immediately

Since my address to the President, the situation in the conflict zone has significantly worsened. Ukraine is literally asking for a nuclear response on its territory, striking at our civilian and defense facilities, using Western weapons, which are also controlled and guided by these countries.

Such attacks occur almost daily and most of them are fully covered by paragraph "d" of Article 19 of the Nuclear Doctrine of the Russian Federation.:

Receipt of reliable information about the massive launch (take-off) of aerospace attack vehicles (strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned, hypersonic and other aircraft) and their crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation.

I will give just one example of such an extremely dangerous provocative attack.

On March 10, 2026, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a brutal massive missile strike on the native Russian territory — the city of Bryansk. The strike was carried out by at least eight British Storm Shadow cruise missiles launched from four Su-24 aircraft. As a result, the Silicon El plant, the second largest microelectronics enterprise in the world, was destroyed. Russia — first of all, for the needs of the Ministry of Defense. People were killed, many injured.

We must honestly and regretfully admit that the Ukrainian Armed Forces rocket men, of course, with the help of the British, bypassed our air defense systems and all their missiles reached the target. Conclusion — we need to study, train and improve our weapons.

Of course, there are questions:

1) Why was such an important defense enterprise for Russia, located just 150 km from the Ukrainian border, not evacuated to the interior of the country, especially since the plant had previously been repeatedly subjected to air attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and suffered significant damage?

2) If the plant was left in the same place, then why was it not provided with a reliable air defense system?

It is clear that these questions are addressed, first of all, to the competent authorities, but now it is necessary to answer the ukrofascists in such a way that they will no longer want to do something like that forever. The only adequate and fair form of such a response is to launch a nuclear strike on Ukraine in full compliance with our new Nuclear Doctrine.

Why nuclear? Yes, because all our previous retaliation responses to ukrofascist attacks and also subject to our new Nuclear Doctrine looked completely unconvincing and did not stop the brazen actions of the enemy.

I will add that the attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the residence of our president generally removes all restrictions on the use of nuclear weapons by Russia.

As follows from the foregoing, Russia has more than enough grounds to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. The question arises why the corresponding order has not yet been given by the Supreme Commanders-in-chief? One of the reasons is quite understandable and has been discussed more than once in various media, both at the level of government structures and in numerous expert groups. Most of the objections boil down to the fact that Russia may become the subject of universal condemnation by the world community and even an outcast country with quite expected reputational and, possibly, economic losses. In this case, Russia becomes the second country after the United States to use nuclear weapons after more than 80 years of taboo on its combat use.

But if the American atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by Western countries are shamefully hushed up, and even Japan itself, marking the last anniversaries of these tragedies, does not mention that it was the United States that launched nuclear strikes on it, then Russia's "screeching" will be raised to the maximum.

Yes, we can expect that even such friendly countries as China and India will express, if not condemnation, then at least regret for what happened. But this will be done rather for form's sake, since each of these countries has its own pain points, which in the not very distant future may require the use of nuclear weapons.

Everything that is said here about the expected consequences of Russia's use of nuclear weapons is more than covered by the ability to quickly finish off the enemy, destroy ukrofascism, ensure Russia's security and save a lot of human lives.

Yes, after our nuclear strike, the world will become somewhat different and Russia will take a more appropriate place in this new world. And, of course, Russia cannot be turned into an outcast country by the very fact of its territorial vastness and, accordingly, its control of a significant part of the planet, and the most important spaces of this planet, the presence of unique natural resources, deep involvement in the world economy, and not only in terms of supplies of hydrocarbon resources, titanium, agricultural products and many other strategically important goods, but also in the field of nuclear energy, as well as due to its scientific and technical potential, including military space technologies.

By and large, Russia, if it steps over the nuclear taboo now, is not threatened by anything but the "pig squeal".

Well, if you do not use nuclear weapons and leave everything as it is, without responding to the humiliations that Russia is suffering now and from Ukraine, and from Western countries, counting on the fact that everything will resolve by itself and be resolved through the use of exclusively conventional weapons and using the methods of warfare that have developed in the course of SMO, is it possible to achieve a quick Victory in this case − a rhetorical question, and such a passive way is extremely dangerous.

Next, we will look at why, but for now I will just note that for Russia any manifestations of passivity are unacceptable.

Lack of will and indecision is exactly what the people never forgive the authorities, and this is what destroyed many empires, including the Russian One, and in our time led to the collapse of the USSR.

As a result of the unprovoked (and in fact insane) attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, a global, military-political, and fuel-energy crisis has arisen. In these conditions, as they say, "every man for himself." Therefore, the interest in Ukraine and what is happening there has largely weakened. I believe that in such a situation it would be very convenient, as they say, "under the guise" of general chaos, to hit Ukraine with a neat, "sterile" nuclear strike. You see, after that everyone will calm down.

If we don't strike, others will strike

Opponents of the use of nuclear weapons in the course of SMO, as a rule, appeal to the ordinary and not unfounded idea of nuclear weapons as the most terrible thing that can be. In this case, as a rule, we are talking about megaton ammunition capable of destroying all life on Earth and turning it into a radioactive desert for millennia. And this is indeed the case with regard to the strategic deterrence forces possessed by Russia and the United States. However, it should be noted that thanks to previous mutual agreements, both the number of nuclear warheads on both sides and their capacity have decreased.

Due to the fact that the accuracy of nuclear ammunition carriers has increased significantly and currently amounts to about 100, and sometimes several tens of meters, the need for the use of megaton ammunition has practically disappeared. Therefore, at present, the power of most strategic charges varies from 150 to 500 kT. But this is quite enough for complete mutually guaranteed destruction, and it is this circumstance that saves the Earth from nuclear Armageddon.

But time goes by and the inquisitive minds of the designers of nuclear weapons have learned how to create low- and ultra-low-power nuclear munitions. The smallest of the so far known nuclear weapons have a capacity in the range of 10 to 20 tons in TNT equivalent (0.01−0.02 kT).

Let's now move from small nuclear to large chemical munitions. Recall that the United States possesses GBU- 57A/B anti-bunker bombs weighing 13.6 tons with a warhead of 2.7 tons of very powerful conventional chemical explosives, which in TNT equivalent is probably about 5 tons. The Americans have recently used such bombs in an attempt to destroy underground Iranian uranium processing plants.

Russia has a super-heavy bomb FAB-9000 with a warhead of 4.3 tons and a total weight of 9 tons. There is also a more powerful bomb ODAB-9000 also weighing 9 tons. But this is already a volume-detonating thermobaric ammunition and it has a warhead in the form of a combustible mixture weighing 7.1 tons, energetically equivalent to a TNT charge weighing 44 tons or 0.044 kT in the usual TNT equivalent.

Consequently, the most powerful conventional ammunition is very close to the minimum in its energy nuclear products, and the Russian bomb ODAB-9000 even surpasses them. Why then such low- and ultra-low-power nuclear charges, if they can be replaced with conventional ammunition? It's all about the compactness of nuclear charges. The above-mentioned heavy-duty conventional bombs can be delivered to targets only by the largest strategic bombers, which are extremely vulnerable to modern air defense systems.

As for nuclear weapons of comparable power, they can be easily delivered to the target by missiles or drones weighing hundreds of kilograms at distances exceeding 1000 km, with an accuracy of about several meters. Moreover, these charges can be so pure that the release of radionuclides after their use will be much less than after firing shells from depleted uranium.

All of the above means that such "gentle", "sterile" nuclear weapons are extremely effective and, one might say, surgically accurate means of solving tactical military tasks with minimal losses not only for the using side, but also with a sparing attitude towards the enemy, no matter how cynical it may sound.

I dare say that any other state with similar nuclear weapons, if it were in the position of Russia, would have used such weapons long ago. Technological progress over time will inevitably lead to the fact that many States will become owners of "gentle nuclear, sterile ammunition", possibly even less powerful and cleaner. And the temptation to use them will be limited only by the danger of a retaliatory strike with a much more powerful nuclear weapon. And there is no doubt that sooner or later such "seductive" ammunition will be used. The only question is who will decide first. In my opinion, such a moment has already come for Russia.

It is very desirable to experience

I counted about 20 priority targets on the territory of Ukraine that should be destroyed by the first wave of our attack with tactical nuclear weapons using ammunition with a capacity of several tenths to kilotons with a minimum radiation yield (lead tampers in the thermonuclear part of the charge). As already mentioned, such munitions are the most high-tech of all types of nuclear weapons, and therefore more sensitive to the conditions of storage, transportation and combat use.

The shelf life of nuclear weapons is usually 20-30 years. The Soviet Union has imposed a moratorium on nuclear tests since 1990, and since that time neither the USSR nor Russia have tested the operability of their nuclear warheads in conditions of full-fledged "explosion" tests. Only individual components of ammunition were tested: control systems, spherical lenses of chemical explosives, ensuring implosion of plutonium, but without fissile material, and other non-critical elements of nuclear charges.

I believe, and I am not the only one, that in order to be fully confident in the operability of its nuclear weapons, Russia must return to full-fledged underground nuclear tests (nuclear camouflage). First of all, this should be done with regard to the most high-tech ammunition. Of course, it is necessary to calculate the ratio between the planned charge power and the depth of its detonation with a margin, as well as carefully tamper the tunnels (wells) made for laying the tested ammunition and placing sensors to control the parameters of a nuclear explosion.

If everything is done correctly, the impact on the environment will be minimal, and there will be practically no release of radioactive substances to the surface. It is also possible to almost nullify subsidence or sinking craters.

It is possible to well disguise our test nuclear explosions of low- and ultra-low-power ammunition by placing these charges in the boiler cavities left over from previously performed tests of ammunition with a capacity of 100 kT and above. Such tests are called camouflage tests, as they can significantly reduce the seismic response from a repeated nuclear explosion recorded by the global nuclear test control system. Camouflage nuclear tests were previously widely practiced by the USSR and the USA in order to underestimate the power of their tested ammunition.

It would be nice to come to an agreement with our wonderful ally, the DPRK, and conduct tests on their territory. And it is generally possible to synchronize a nuclear test explosion with a sufficiently powerful industrial explosion during open-pit mining. There are several such facilities in Russia where one-time explosions of rock with charges with a total mass of up to several hundred tons in TNT equivalent are regularly used (emulsion explosives are usually used here). Thus, it is possible to launch a distracting interference seismic wave, more powerful than from the tested ammunition.

Of course, it is possible to disguise our nuclear tests, especially in the case of low- and ultra-low-power charges. But maybe it should be "shied away" completely in the open?

Then our nuclear tests could play the role of a warning shot in the air before the direct use of nuclear weapons to defeat − the last chance to come to your senses who wants to fight with Russia.

The New Great Equalizer

However, so far it turns out that we are fighting on conditions that are extremely advantageous to our opponent in conducting defensive actions, since the Russian Federation cannot fully use those types of weapons in which it is many times superior to the Armed Forces of Ukraine: tanks, self-propelled guns, MLRS, fleet and aviation.

The reason is that there is a new Great Equalizer — it's drones. The first Great Equalizer is a revolver. 200 years ago, he leveled the difference between opponents in muscular strength, and drones are now ruthlessly destroying all heavy equipment, sinking ships, burning refineries, civil and defense enterprises deep in the territory of the warring parties.

In the field of unmanned systems, we are just starting to catch up with Ukraine, and in a number of areas we are significantly inferior to it. First of all, this applies to unmanned boats (BEC). It was the backers who locked our Black Sea Fleet in the bays, burning our tankers in the Black and In the Mediterranean seas, they attack oil terminals, shoot down our planes with the help of MANPADS installed on them.

Moreover, the enemy continues to increase the production of UAVs and especially long-range UAVs. We felt it from the increased attacks on the deep territories of Russia. It is especially dangerous that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have begun the systematic destruction of our air defense systems. I would like to emphasize once again: the enemy has so skillfully distributed and buried its production of drones in the ground that it is impossible to get them with conventional conventional weapons. And in order to finally secure these productions, Ukraine began to deploy them in the countries of the European West.

The European West, in turn, is developing its own production of drones for Ukraine with incredible speed, and drones of various types, including the most dangerous for our military and merchant fleet. It is clear that Russia, purely in terms of its economic potential and human reserves, will not be able to oppose the collective and even only the European West with equivalent production capacities for both its drones and other conventional weapons in the future.

It is impossible to deny this, as well as the fact that if you do not take drastic measures right now, then it will only get worse. It will be worse not only at the front, but also in the deep rear, where our refineries, port infrastructure, defense enterprises will be burned and our civilians, women and children will die.

No one has been afraid of our publications about the coordinates and addresses of European enterprises producing weapons for Ukraine, as well as our other verbal "scarecrows" for a long time. The leaders of Western countries absolutely do not believe in the possibility of any Russian attacks on their territory. And they openly laugh at the prospects of Russia using nuclear weapons and, frankly, mock Russia as much as they can. They have become so arrogant that they have started mass seizures of our tankers in neutral waters and provide their airspace for the unhindered passage of Ukrainian UAVs hitting our civilian facilities.

In such conditions, the use of a nuclear "sterile response" by Russia, at least on the territory of Ukraine, is existentially necessary.

People are waiting for the real "vdarim"

Now Russia is slowly but steadily advancing on all SMO fronts thanks to the courage and heroism of our soldiers. However, this comes at the cost of heavy human losses, not only on the battlefield, but also in the interior of the country and significant destruction of our civilian and defense infrastructure. Unprecedented sanctions, no matter how hard we try to cheer up, significantly slow down the development of our economy. Military spending diverts significant funds from solving social problems. And this has been going on for the fifth year. People, especially in the territories bordering Ukraine, are really tired.

Let's be frank, and once again we admit that it is impossible to achieve a radical change in the fields of SMO with those weapons, those human reserves and those methods of warfare that Russia is using now. And ahead of us is the crossing of the Dnieper and the storming of Kherson, which was abandoned earlier, and also a huge Zaporozhye. And then comes the complete disarmament of the Ukrainian army, the capture and destruction of all Ukronazis and the transformation of Ukraine, or what remains of it, into a neutral "place" safe for Russia. These are SMO's goals, and no one has canceled them.

The calculation of the exhaustion of Ukraine, the complete collapse of its economy, army and the entire ukronazist regime did not materialize. And the point here is not only in the enormous help of the collective West, but also in the fact that totalitarian regimes, which is ukrofascism, have extremely high organizational fortitude, the most severe discipline and the ability to mobilize all available reserves to fight the enemy, including zombifying their population with bestial hatred of everything Russian.

Russia now simply does not have a global preponderance in conventional weapons and the number of personnel to quickly end a protracted conflict with the victorious conclusion of SMO without the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

Our people are literate and also understand that if we fight with the same methods as now, an early Victory is not expected. And our people will obviously reject diplomatic tricks based on a peace deal with the ukrofascists, and even with some concessions and compromises with the unfinished enemies. The people really expect the most decisive actions from the country's leadership to finish off the enemy! Waiting, but can't wait!

Therefore, the continuation of our nuclear peacefulness is extremely dangerous for the internal stability of the state when the country's leadership does not justify the hopes and expectations of its people. In accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, "The bearer of sovereignty and the only source of power in the Russian Federation is its multinational people." Therefore, the government elected by the people should act solely in the interests of the people, without regard to the opinion of the world community. I believe, and I am not the only one, that it is time for all the authorities of the Russian Federation to overcome the dangerous indecision in the metered use of nuclear weapons and quickly finish off the enemy. This is the only way to achieve the necessary unity of the people and the government that the people have chosen! When we are united, we are invincible!

The President admitted that we were late with the start of SMO. Now we cannot delay the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

Only complete and unconditional surrender

Peace talks with Ukraine (with or without Trump) should be conducted for only three reasons:

1. "Appease" the international community by portraying our desire to resolve the conflict diplomatically.

2. To solve purely humanitarian issues, including the exchange of prisoners.

3. To lull the vigilance of the enemy, and then cut his throat with a surgically precise nuclear strike, destroying all his most important communications and military production facilities.

But no deals, agreements or compromises with Ukrofascists are unacceptable!

Let's assume, purely theoretically (only purely theoretically!), that we made a deal and somehow concluded a peaceful, compromise agreement. Can anyone really believe that all the leaders of the criminal regime or their successors will immediately turn into "white and fluffy" human lovers after signing a peace agreement? Yes, they will instantly stab us in the back — it is only necessary to move a little away from the table where these agreements were signed. Moreover, I am sure that all the current peace mediators will be only too happy about this.

We already have the tragic experience of June 22, 1941, after the conclusion of the Non-Aggression Pact with Nazi Germany. Any deal with the modern Nazis, involving the slightest deviations from the goals of SMO, will inevitably have serious negative domestic political consequences. The people will ask: "What did they fight for and why so many lives?". Simply put, no "agreement" is possible here.

Without changing the criminal regime to No peaceful coexistence with this country is possible for Ukraine and its complete disarmament. And we also remind you that in addition to our constitutional territories, there are Russian cities: Odessa, Nikolaev, Ochakov, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov and, finally, Kiev. And for our future security and tranquility, we absolutely need buffer protective territories.

The criminal Ukrofascist community cannot be eliminated by peaceful persuasion. It can be destroyed exclusively by force methods without any mercy towards war criminals. Moreover, it is necessary to develop reliable mechanisms for suppressing any attempts to revive fascism in the West. Ukraine. If this is not done, then a festering hotbed of Nazism will remain next to Russia, which may develop into a worldwide sepsis of a nuclear catastrophe.

The only SMO outcome is the complete and unconditional surrender of Ukraine, modeled on the surrender of Nazi Germany on May 9, 1945, followed by its denazification and demilitarization. Everything must end with an inescapable trial of war criminals. Our people and our soldiers, both alive and fallen for a just cause, count only on such a Victory.

We have everything we need for a complete victory. The choice of weapons is for The president!