Dorcha Lee: Could the war in Ukraine go nuclear?

Will Russia’s invasion of Ukraine lead to the unthinkable and trigger the use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield, asks Dorcha Lee

A Ukrainian soldier smiles from a military vehicle in the freed territory in the Kharkiv region on Monday. Picture: AP /Kostiantyn Liberov

The successful Ukrainian attack on Russian forces in the northeast Oblast (region) of Kharkiv was a textbook operation. Planning and preparation were conducted over several months in absolute secrecy, with the result that total surprise was achieved. 

Concentrating 15 brigades, with up to 45,000 troops, hundreds of tanks and thousands of other vehicles, without the Russians finding out about it, is extraordinary. It was a high risk strategy, which paid off.