Russia Preparing for 'Something Disastrous': Khrushchev Great-Granddaughter

Russians are preparing for "something disastrous" to happen as fears continue to mount over what President Vladimir Putin may do next amid his war in Ukraine, according to the great-granddaughter of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at New York's The New School, told BBC Radio 4's Today program on Friday that anxiety among Russians waiting for Putin's next steps is "palpable," according to Metro. She is currently in Russia and said that recent conversations about the potential deployment of a nuclear weapon are pushing residents to ready themselves for the fallout of such a possibility.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, demand for potassium iodide pills has spiked. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), potassium iodide can help prevent radioactive iodine from being absorbed by the thyroid. Radioactive iodine can be released into the environment in some radiation emergencies and enter the body via breathing or eating.

Local Russian news outlets have also reported an increase in demand for personal bomb shelters.

"Society is getting more desperate," Khrushcheva said, according to Metro. She added that Russians are "frozen in despair" since they don't know what tomorrow will bring.

Nuclear fears have been circulating ever since the war began in late February, but Putin ramped up those concerns when he said in an address last month that he was willing to respond to what he alleged was "nuclear blackmail" from the West using his country's weapons. Additionally, after Russia recently accused Ukraine of planning to deploy a "dirty bomb" on its own territory and then blame Russia, Western leaders rejected the allegation and warned that Putin's regime might attempt to use it "as a pretext for escalation."

And on Wednesday, Putin oversaw drills with his strategic nuclear forces that included the launch of a nuclear-capable Yars intercontinental ballistic missile.

Despite the implications of Putin's recent rhetoric and actions, the Russian president on Thursday said that there is "no need" politically or militarily for the deployment of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The Kremlin told Newsweek in a statement on Friday that the nuclear talks are "not being [heated] up from [Russia's] side," but rather by the U.S. and Europe.

Still, Russians have not been able to let go of their fears and anxiety, according to Khrushcheva. She said on BBC Radio 4's Today that Putin "may be ready to have a war" in an apparent reference to further escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, according to Metro.

Newsweek reached out to the Kremlin and Khrushcheva for comment.