Russian President Vladimir Putin has deployed the world's largest nuke-capable mortar weapon to the battlefield, the British publication Mirror reported Tuesday.
Nicknamed "the Sledgehammer," the 2S4 Tulip is capable of firing nuclear munitions, likely considered "micro-nukes," that can destroy an area the size of a football stadium.
"This is a huge weapon, devastating when using conventional weapons and capable of smashing a large area," an unnamed security source told the Mirror. "But they will also be a very large target for Ukraine's drone and artillery teams, who are hunting down Russia's offensive equipment daily."
And "the 2S5 is capable of targeting something from beyond its line of sight with bombs that would be very difficult, if at all, to deflect or intercept."
On the same day of reports indicating Putin is deploying nuclear-capable weapons to the battlefield, other outlets report U.S. officials as saying Russia has lost three-quarters of its conventional firepower, otherwise suggesting Putin is becoming more desperate.
And as professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago puts it, Putin views NATO's expansion toward Russia's borders, as well as losing the war in Ukraine, as an "existential threat."
"I don't see the Americans quitting," the professor added, speaking in regard to U.S. support for Ukraine. "I don't think the Ukrainians have the agency by themselves to stop this [war]. And for that reason, I find it hard to see how this [war] comes to an end anytime soon."
In terms of a peace agreement, Mearsheimer wagers the only way one could be reached is if Ukraine refuses to join NATO.