This seems to be the issue.
Stock futures down almost 500
its a BS issue.
The Ukrainians have had the shorter ranged ATACMS with a range of around 100 miles, and has used them and has used them with no issue.
The Ukrainians have had the Shadowsword or whatever from the UK with range of around 150 miles, and has used them with no issue.
The Ukrainians are just now getting the longer ranged ATACMS with a range of 190 miles.
so somewhere in that 40 miles is an issue? Russia is effing huge, 40 miles doesn't get them to Moscow, and the range already was beyond the direct border regions. especially after Ukraine has used other weapons, mostly drones, to strike much further than 190 miles away.
there is no logic to it.
and none of the missiles we have sent are capable of holding a nuclear warhead. so Russia trying to say "we don't know what is being shot at us and it could be nukes" is bs. its war, you never know what is being shot at you.
and I don't even think the launcher, the HIMARS, has the capability to fire a missile (not ATACMS) that can carry a nuclear warhead. so its not like we could sneak in a FATMAN and launch it from HIMARS, which just circles back to Russia is making up stuff to be afraid of.
the US/Wests tactical nuclear arsenal is much more limited than Russia's. like the US has some in stockpiles and has never touched them, doesn't have a strategy to use them, doesn't train with their deployments, doesn't employ the systems that would launch our tactical nukes in other uses that could quickly be adapted. they exist, but aren't part of our arsenal and have never once been discussed with Ukraine. Russia on the other hand absolutely has a strategy to use them, does train with them, does deploy the systems that would launch their tactical nukes.