Ukrainian Armed Forces head Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi wrote on Ukrinform that the West shouldn't rule out the possibility that Russia utilizes tactical nuclear weapons in its ongoing invasion.

In a Wednesday opinion editorial published by the site, Zaluzhnyi emphasized that the United States and European Union should prepare for what he and co-author Lt. Gen. Mykhailo Zabrodskyi described as a "limited nuclear conflict" instigated by the Kremlin.

"Battles on the territory of Ukraine have already demonstrated how much the Russian Federation neglects the issues of global nuclear security even in a conventional war," they argued.

"In particular, since July 2022, Russian troops have set up a military base at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, deploying heavy artillery, including BM-30 Smerch multiple rocket launchers, on its premises," they added.

Zaluzhnyi and Zabrodskyi further called on the U.S. and E.U. to organize a plan to preemptively counter a hypothetical Russian nuclear strike if they obtain intelligence corroborating the fears.

"Any Russian attempts at practical steps in the use of tactical nuclear weapons must be pre-empted by employing the entire arsenal of means at the disposal of world powers," they wrote.

Their fear is not entirely unfounded. In early July, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev appeared to threaten Western powers advocating for international war crimes tribunals.

"The idea to punish a country that has the largest nuclear arsenal is absurd in and of itself, and potentially creates a threat to the existence of mankind," wrote Medvedev, an ally of Vladimir Putin's regime, according to The Moscow Times.

Further, Russia has continued to station its troops inside the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, with retaliatory Ukrainian shelling near the plant raising fears of a nuclear disaster.

This week, The New York Times reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is calling for a "security protection zone" in and around the area after visiting the site.

"While the ongoing shelling has not yet triggered a nuclear emergency, it continues to represent a constant threat to nuclear safety and security with potential impact on critical safety functions that may lead to radiological consequences with great safety significance," the IAEA stated.

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