A Russian expert has dismissed claims that Vladimir Putin is running out of money but warns that he could make the "situation much worse" with nuclear tactics.
Despite Russia launching airstrikes costing Moscow a reported £1.1billion this week, the chairman of an American geopolitics think-tank, Silverado Policy Accelerator said Russia is not running out of cash.
Ukraine's air force said Russia carried out a heavy aerial attack on the country for the third time in four days on Thursday - which were said to have mostly been intercepted.
Dmitri Alperovitch suggests that Putin is "ramping up gas production" and for the first time since the war began, the top supplier of gas to Europe is Russia.
A Russian expert has dismissed claims that Vladimir Putin is running out of money but warns that he could make the 'situation much worse' with nuclear tactics
Reuters/ GB News
The American author told GB News: "Russia is still exporting a lot of oil, it is ramping up gas production.
"In fact, for the first time in several years now, since the war began, the number one supplier of gas to Europe is Russia.
"Once again, the ramping up production of LNG gas, even though their facilities are sanctioned by the United States and other allies, they're still making money.
"They're burning through some of their foreign reserves, but they can do that for some some years to come."
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Earlier this week, it was claimed that Putin was threatening a "nuclear catastrophe" amid concerns of continuous Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, wrote on Telegram: "It is a deliberate decision by the Putin regime to threaten the world with nuclear catastrophe."
However, the Russian born former computer security industry executive has warned that using nuclear tactics could "make the situation much, much worse for him".
He said: "Putin and the Russian establishment have used nuclear weapons as a blackmail tool, but it has hasn't really worked.
Despite Russia launching airstrikes costing Moscow a reported £1.1bn this week, the chairman of an American geopolitics think-tank, Silverado Policy Accelerator said Russia is not running out of cash
GB News
"In fact, if you look at the trajectory of this conflict, many things that the US and other allies have been opposed to sending to Ukraine in terms of weapons, like tanks, longer range missiles and many other capabilities have been provided over time.
"So I don't think that it works, and ultimately, using a nuclear weapon does not actually achieve any strategic objectives for Russia.
"Other than make the situation much, much worse for him."