Russia won't need to Nuke anyone, they just need to strategically keep hitting energy infrastructure in Ukraine and wait for winter. Someone sent them a copy of the art of war a few weeks back, truth be told they have never been strategic geniuses at warfare, but they are learning, The west not Ukraine, now have to worry about their Belaruisian border after a new build up there, that will mean less troops to the south. Putin should still tactically nuke the Donbas just to show the west he will use his nuclear deterrent. Tactical Nukes aren't weapons of mass destruction but they will promote a level of farck off and also if after he succeeds on the Donbas they ever think of putting NATO missile defence systems in Ukraine again, he will simply nuke Ukraine, first by tactical nuke then by heavier means where required. The west started this war, he wasn't looking at putting missiles in Ukraine to point west, The west was looking to put them in Ukraine pointing east. Its only spoonfed western media knobs like autowanker who don't have the capacity to think for themselves that think this is Russian aggression, its Russian reaction. The conflict is civil in nature anyway, Ukrainians are Russians and have been for centuries.