One of Vladimir Putin’s most senior advisors has said millions of innocent people face death if Vladimir Putin pushes his nuclear button.

‘Professor Doomsday’ Sergei Karaganov, 74, an Honorary Chairman of the Praesidium of Russia’s Council on Foreign and Defence Policy, issued the warning after weeks of increasing tensions.

He said Russia will go nuclear if the West sends troops into Ukraine or touches the Kremlin’s Baltic Sea outpost, Kaliningrad.

‘I hope it does not come to that, but Russia would be forced to launch a nuclear strike if NATO countries deployed troops to Ukrainian territory or if there were a direct threat to Russian territory,’ he said. 

He smiled and added: ‘It is absolutely clear that such a war would be nuclear. I do not want that, and I am actively working to prevent such a scenario.’

He went on to say that a ‘nuclear war in Europe would be easily won’, but inflict ‘terrible moral damage’ on Russia.

‘Millions of innocent people would perish,’ he said, referencing NATO nations.

The interviewer told Karaganov that he had earlier suggested a ‘preemptive nuclear strike’, to which the professor replied: ‘It’s not too late.’

‘I hope things won’t come to that, but I am very pleased that both the Russian President and the Foreign Minister have started saying that if a war were to break out, it would be very short,’ he said.

Yesterday, NATO responded to Russia’s outright threat to deploy nuclear weapons if Kaliningrad is ‘threatened’ by the alliance.

‘We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric,’ NATO wrote.

‘We have sent a response, noting that NATO is a defensive Alliance and none of our activities or exercises pose a risk to any part of Russia.

‘We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.’

Russia has repeatedly threatened the use of nuclear weapons if NATO and other European countries continue to ‘threaten’ its territory.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, .

MORE: Putin increases military spending by 27% to record £150,000,000,000 next year

MORE: Kanye West’s Russian concerts axed after concerns over ‘Hitler glorification’

MORE: Nato blasts ‘irresponsible’ Russia rhetoric after nuclear arsenal threat