no , that makes no tactical sense. it is a MAD ploy that is way to early to play.
the most likely use of tac nukes now would be to destroy the bridges over the Dnipro and also to really destroy the main power stations around the country.
that would freeze the Ukr units in place without significant reinforcements.
and that would have to be done only when there use was absolutely necessary, as in around nov , if the mobilized forces aren't enough to stem the Ukr in Kherson.
If Putin were thinking like an American, then yes, this would be a crazy move.
But Putin, and the rest of his military leadership over there aren't American nor do they think like Americans.
Putin has had the Ukranians hand him his hat in regards to the current "special military operation". The Russians are taking losses far in excess of their worst case estimates. They have lost equipment that's near impossible to replace (many of their tanks are upgraded Soviet era equipment, guess where those Soviet era tanks were built. Yep, Ukraine.)
Putin's call for more reserves hasn't gotten him the troops he needs; rather he's developing a unique new facet of Russian society-that facet being the invention of the Russian draft dodger. If it were the Soviet era men would line up to serve the country; today those men are running away like rats to whatever safe haven that takes them.
Lets talk sanctions. Sanctions have crippled the Russian economy, no matter how rosy RT and Rio Novosti and Tass paint that picture. The everyday Russian Ivan and Ivankas are suffering. Not a good recipe to engender love and support to the current regime. The west cutting off sources of hard currency to Russia is crippling as well. All they have is oil and India and China won't buy enough to make up the loss of European fuel revenues. Europe is going to have a cold winter; Russia is going to have a colder-and hungrier winter.
Finally, nothing Putin has done can be considered a "get back" to the West for the sanctions and NATO creeping up against their borders, and making them a near total pariah to the rest of the world. Friendly relations with China? No-China using Russia as a oil supply convenience, nothing more. China kicked out the Soviets in China in 1960, 2 and 9 years later they were killing each other in border clashes.
Putin's generals are against the wall. Popping a tac nuke on
Zaporizhzhia makes perfect sense. The cloud of radiation from those reactors being breached hurts Europe, from a power supply and a radiation standpoint. It hurts NATO, because popping that plant at will makes NATO appear impotent on the world stage and if that's an "answer"Putin wants to give; then NATO would be impotent because they really couldn't respond in kind. Sure, give the Ukranians more weapons but that's no going to help the avalanche of bad press a nuke accident tthere would generate.
Plus, the Russian mind is somewhat fatalistic; more matter of fact than other people give them credit for. Russians wouldn't think twice hurting the rest of the world to soothe their bruised egos.
That's my take on what I said. You may or may not agree with it; but there's a few more puzzle pieces to ponder.
