Russian Navy Trained To Use Nuclear Missiles Against Europe In NATO Conflict
Russia has trained its naval forces to use nuclear-powered missiles to attack NATO assets in Europe in preparation for a possible conflict with the alliance.
Confidential data from 2008 to 2014 reveal that Russia’s navy has been instructed to strike deep into Europe, including targets as far away as the west coast of France and Barrow-in-Furness in the UK.
The presentation’s maps show 32 NATO targets across Europe, with a focus on sites in Germany, Norway, and the UK.
The data reveals that Russia’s Baltic fleet would attack Norwegian and German targets, while the Northern Fleet would target a submarine facility in Northwest England.
Russian military officials have highlighted the navy’s high manoeuvrability, which enables “sudden and pre-emptive blows” and “massive missile strikes from various directions.”
The documents also discuss the possible deployment of nuclear weapons on surface ships, raising concerns about escalation and accidents.
The leaked data also reveal that Russia had practiced the use of tactical nuclear weapons in the early stage of a major conflict.
NATO estimates that member countries have less than 5% of the air defense capacity required to protect the alliance’s eastern flank from a full-fledged Russian attack.