Military commanders are deploying specialist "nuke sniffing" plane able to detecting radioactive traces within the environment.

It comes as fears mount that Vladimir Putin would possibly launch short-range tactical nuclear weapons, or engineer a catastrophe in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant.

Ukrainian nationwide safety advisor Oleksiy Danilov yesterday confirmed that Kyiv was lastly able to launch its much-anticipated counter offensive towards Russian forces, including that the push may start “tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week”.

But specialists warned that the counter offensive might be halted ought to an ever-desperate Vladimir Putin resolve to sabotage the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant, contaminating key battlegrounds with radiation.

US Air Force WC-135 Constant Phoenix plane have been conducting operations over Europe from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.

The four-engined Boeing was initially designed to make sure nations saved to the 1963 nuclear check ban treaty by amassing particulate and gaseous effluents and particles from the environment.

Each aircraft carries as much as 33 individuals, together with the crew, upkeep personnel, and particular tools operators, although the quantity is scaled again on operational sorties to scale back radiation publicity to mission-essential personnel solely.

Last evening a US Air Force spokesman mentioned: “The aircraft is a modified C-135R platform, and its modifications are primarily related to its onboard atmospheric collection suite, which allows the mission crew to detect and collect radioactive debris in real time.”

The spokesman confirmed that the plane and its crew had “conducted an aircraft radiological recovery plan training" before returning to their home base at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska and Patrick Space Force Base, Florida.

Sources confirmed it would be replaced by another, as three WC-135s work on a rotation basis.

Last week Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko revealed that Russia had moved some of its tactical nuclear warheads to Belarus under a new deal between the two allies.

The plan raises the possibility that Russia may target Western Ukraine with short range nuclear weapons.

Deliberate sabotage of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is also another possibility, said nuclear Col Hamish de Bretton-Gordon last night.

"The threat of a nuclear incident has never been higher since the Second World War, and it is eminently sensible to be deploying assets like this,” he mentioned.

“Putin is becoming more desperate. From a military point of view, if there was an explosion at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, it would make the Ukrainian Conner offensive difficult because it is likely to cross the contamination field."

“The WC-135 Constant Phoenix would be vital not only in confirming attribution, because we know Putin would try to deny his involvement."

“It would also be able to predict exactly where the radiation hazard is and where it might fall. You don’t want the whole of Europe taking cover in bunkers - you need to work out early where the danger is.”

Prof Alessio Patalano of King's College London, added: “This is a clear signal to Russia that we are taking its nuclear threat seriously,”

In his final interview earlier than retiring the top of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, urged Nato to look to look past the defeat of Russia.

“When the Ukraine conflict is over and Ukraine has restored its borders, as it must, we will have a damaged, vindictive, and brutal Russia, whose means of harming us is through air attack, missile attack and subsurface attack," he said.

And toppling Putin would not guarantee a more democratic or friendly government in Moscow.

"There is a whole structure and a hierarchy behind Putin," he added.

"So even if Putin was to disappear off the stage, there are countless others that could replace him that could be as equally as brutal and vicious to their own people and to neighbouring states.”