RUSSIA’S General Armageddon was caught by US spies calling for using tactical nuclear weapons in a heart-stopping moment where the war almost went atomic.

In October 2022, Kyiv’s brave warriors were advancing in Kherson and pushing Moscow’s men back across the Dnipro River.

As Russia was being humiliated, Vladimir Putin’s General Sergei Surovikin, 58, was eavesdropped on by American intelligence formulating a desperate plan.

Surovikin wanted to stop Ukrainian troops crossing the river by using tactical nuclear bombs, according to The New York Times.

Russia was desperate to stop the continuing Ukrainian advance as they feared if Kyiv’s troops crossed the river they could head to Crimea.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered a humiliating retreat after his commanders confessed they could no longer face Ukraine’s artillery and keep their troops supplied.

The chance of sick tyrant Putin using a nuclear weapon increased from five per cent to 50 per cent if the Russian lines were to collapse.

America then pressed Ukraine to slow their advance amid fears Russia would start a nuclear war.

It is unclear if Putin actively considered using nuclear weapons at this moment, but he is believed to have come under Chinese as well as US pressure not to do so.

But, the fear created a split between European and US army commanders, with the Americans wanting the Ukrainians to slow down.

Russia left behind a force to protect its retreat across the Dnipro, which the report claims Ukraine could have easily routed.

Key to Ukraine’s advance was Task Force Dragon – a coalition of intelligence officers who would supply information to Ukraine.

But, they would not pass along how they knew the information in order to protect their sources.

US General Christopher Donahue would say: “Don’t worry about how we found out. Just trust that when you shoot, it will hit it, and you’ll like the results, and if you don’t like the results, tell us, we’ll make it better.”

So Volodymyr Zelenksy’s generals feared a larger force lay in wait and they didn’t go for a knockout blow.

Russia used a number of other ways to prevent Ukrainian troops crossing, including bombing the Kakhovka Dam and blowing up bridges that crossed the Dnipro.

Ukraine waited for Russian troops to retreat and then stopped at the Dnipro River, finishing the successful counteroffensive.

Ukraine’s President Zelensky raised the national flag over the southern city’s main square amid scenes of jubilation in November, 2022.

Surovikin was in charge of the Russian war campaign in Ukraine from October 2022 until Putin sacked him in January 2023.

He was sidelined amid fears he was colluding with Yevgeny Prigozhin – who tried a coup with his Wagner mercenaries in June, 2023.

He was replaced by loyal follower General Valery Gerasimov who was then reportedly replaced during the Wagner Rebellion.

Moscow has red lines in its doctrine about when to use nukes – but they are softer than those in the West.

Putin is happy to use the weapons if he considers there is an “existential threat” to Russia.

Russia is thought to have around 2,000 nuclear weapons in their arsenal in the form of small yield missiles, torpedoes and artillery shells.

Moscow’s war doctrine is believed to be open to using nuclear weapons in a conventional conflict as an intimidation tactic – and the use of such a weapon must be signed off personally by Putin.