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topicnews · August 26, 2024

Russia simulates use of tactical nuclear weapons, maps show NATO targets

Russia simulates use of tactical nuclear weapons, maps show NATO targets

Russia has trained its navy to attack targets deep inside Europe with nuclear-capable missiles in the event of a possible conflict with NATO, according to secret documents obtained by the Financial TimesThese files, dating from 2008 to 2014, contain detailed maps of destinations across Europe.

These maps and plans date from before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the report says the documents Financial Times from Western sources.

The report of the Financial Times noted that Russia had previously simulated the use of tactical nuclear weapons at an early stage of a conflict with a major world power. The maps show a selection of 32 NATO targets in Europe.

The documents received and checked Financial Times Describe how Russia planned devastating attacks on all of Western Europe, using nuclear weapons in combination with other destructive weapons and means.

The files show that Russia retains the ability to transport nuclear weapons on surface ships, increasing the risk of escalation or even an accident. They also suggest that Russia views tactical nuclear weapons as potentially decisive in conflict. Financial Times reported.

In this still from a video released on August 1, 2024, personnel are seen operating near a jet aircraft during exercises at an undisclosed location in Russia. (Source: Russian Defense Ministry/Reuters)

Analysts for the Financial Times noted that the maps in the documents represent only a tiny fraction of the targets mapped across Europe, including military and other infrastructure. Russia’s military strategy is described as geared towards “total war,” with tactical nuclear weapons seen as crucial to achieving war-winning objectives.

The leaked documents also suggest that Russia is capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons on surface ships, including anti-submarine missiles and anti-aircraft missiles with nuclear warheads, despite a 1991 agreement to dismantle them.

“Demonstration strike” could be used to scare Western countries

The Financial Times and in its reporting of these findings, it also speaks of a “demonstration strike,” that is, the detonation of a nuclear weapon in a remote area “at a time of imminent threat of aggression” before an actual conflict, in order to instill fear in Western countries. The file states that such a strike would demonstrate “the intent to use nuclear weapons.”

Recent Russian exercises have rehearsed the use of tactical nuclear weapons, consistent with the strategies described in the leaked documents. These preparations include loading anti-ship missiles with nuclear warheads and practicing the handling and use of nuclear warheads, suggesting that the threat of nuclear escalation remains an important aspect of Russian military planning.



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