Putin was so close to launching a nuke in Ukraine that Britain was preparing for the fallout… as intelligence sources say Russia is likely to up drone attacks in coming days following US election

Vladimir Putin came so close to launching a nuclear bomb in Ukraine in October 2022 that Britain was preparing for the fallout, it is understood.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss reportedly spent her last days in office examining weather maps and preparing British radiation cases after American spies raised concerns that Putin was about to push the button.

The shocking details of how close the war came to devastating escalation have been revealed in an updated biography of Ms Truss, entitled Out of the Blue, The sun first reported.

The biography reports that the short-lived Prime Minister ‘spent countless hours studying satellite weather data and wind directions’ amid fears that the ‘wrong weather patterns’ could have a ‘direct fallout effect on Britain’.

It comes as Putin has deployed 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops in a bid to capture Kursk from Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office as US president.

Ukraine’s leading military commander said “tens of thousands of enemy soldiers” have arrived to drive Kiev’s forces out of the enclave, raising concerns in the West about a serious escalation of the conflict next month.

Liz Truss (pictured) reportedly spent her last days in the office studying weather maps and preparing British radiation cases after US spies raised concerns that Putin was seriously about to launch a nuclear bomb

Vladimir Putin (pictured) has deployed 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops in an attempt to capture Kursk from Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office as US president.

Vladimir Putin (pictured) has deployed 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops in an attempt to capture Kursk from Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office as US president.

Putin came so close to launching a nuclear bomb in Ukraine in October 2022 that Britain was preparing for the consequences, it is understood

Putin came so close to launching a nuclear bomb in Ukraine in October 2022 that Britain was preparing for the consequences, it is understood

An intelligent assessment of British defense seen through The Telegraph reveals that Russia It is expected to step up its kamikaze drone attacks on Ukrainian positions very soon, using new launch sites near the border.

Putin hopes to regain territory before Trump’s return on January 20 next year, NATO allies believe, when he is expected to back talks that could finally end the war.

Trump reportedly used a phone call with Putin after his election success last week to warn the Russian president about an escalation of the war.

Russia has already regained about half of the territory Ukraine lost in an August invasion.

Yesterday, Putin denied reports that he had spoken with Trump in recent days, adding that he has no concrete plans yet to talk to him.

The call between the president-elect and the Russian leader was first reported by the Washington Post, citing unidentified sources, as saying Trump told Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine. Reuters news agency also reported on the call, citing an unknown source.

Putin hopes to regain territory before Donald Trump's return on January 20 next year

Putin hopes to regain territory before Donald Trump’s return on January 20 next year

Trump reportedly warned Putin on Thursday not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of “Washington’s extensive military presence in Europe,” according to the Washington Post.

But yesterday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov vehemently denied that the call ever took place. ‘This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction, it’s just false information,” Peskov said, hitting back brutally. “There was no conversation.”

“This is the clearest example of the quality of information being published now, sometimes even in quite reputable publications,” Peskov said.

When asked whether Putin has plans for contacts with Trump, Peskov replied: “There are no concrete plans yet.”

Putin’s denial that the phone call took place is uncomfortable for Trump, who has long maintained that he has Putin’s ear and promises to find a solution to the war in Ukraine.