Vladimir Putin has been warned he may be left with little choice but to use Russia's nuclear arsenal if the war in Ukraine drags on even longer, with the military and economy both under strain

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Ben Carter. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sara Wadeson.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it has put approximately 30 percent of its estimated 5,580 warheads in an untenably precarious position. Early in the war, concerns that the invasion increased the danger of a nuclear detonation or accidental explosion focused on the risk to Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants and Russia’s threats to intentionally escalate the conflict past the nuclear threshold.