OK.
Before the war started, Putin (in healthy mind) clearly said in an interview"We are too weak to fight against NATO using normal weapons, so IF NATO forces us to fight against them THEN I have one option, to use nuclear power, and according to my knowledge we have quite some power in that area. But be aware that ALL will be losers, Russia too !!!!!"
I think Putin was using the Russian Roulette tactic, not just bluff. Russian Roulette implies "no fear to die in the process (something that worries me)". Definitely not just blowing off steam. Russians don't even smile, because that is seen as a weakness in Russia. Blowing off steam is showing weakness
Real intention...if Putin is still in "sane mind" he would never do that, as he declared already as I described above"
Obviously it's Putin who gave instruction to the journalist to air this message; a fact that almost none on RF realizes
I think, that Putin must be realizing by now, that this "wargame" of his, might going to cost him an immense amount of money, if people start making claims when the war ends.
I think Putin has quite a few narcissistic traits. One of them is that "losing is no option". Narcs will go to extreme ways to avoid losing, and definitely not admitting it. I am very surprised that on RF nobody almost thinks of psychological danger here.
So, this nuke threat might be his solution to "not lose the war". He might think this offers him some leverage to get out of his mess less harmed. I don't know how his narc mind works. But obviously he thought it was a smart move.
BTW, the Russians I've known do smile.
But then again...they're they kind of Russians
who moved to Ameristan. Perhaps for smiles.