Secret documents revealed Putin practiced nuclear war against Europe years ago
Russia had its navy practise nuclear attacks on targets in Europe more than ten years ago. This is according to secret Kremlin documents leaked to the Financial Times.
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- Russia has sophisticated plans for nuclear attacks on targets in Europe.
- According to secret documents, the Kremlin planned and practiced attacks with missiles capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads.
- This emerges from Russian military documents that have become public. They date from the years 2008 to 2014.
Russia definitely has plans in the drawer to attack targets in Europe with nuclear weapons. The "Financial Times" has made secret documents public that show how the Russian navy has practiced such nuclear strikes.
The British newspaper received 29 Russian military documents from Western sources, as reported by Der Spiegel. These showed that the Kremlin had kept open the possibility of firing nuclear bombs at targets in Western Europe should a conflict with NATO develop.
What is surprising is that the plans are by no means from the last few years, during which relations between Europe and Russia deteriorated steadily. The documents, which were also reported on by Der Spiegel, were drawn up between 2008 and 2014. During this time, the Kremlin and the West were actually looking for ways to work together. Russia was also a member of the G8 - until it was excluded following the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Targets in Germany, France, Great Britain and Norway
The 29 Russian military documents include lists of targets for missiles that can carry conventional or nuclear warheads. In the event of an emergency, locations in Germany, Great Britain, western France and Norway would have been targeted. However, it is not clear from the secret files how the attacks would have been carried out. Targets in countries allied with NATO were also found in the documents.
Russian officers had emphasized in the documents that it was important to use nuclear weapons early on. The navy would have given Russia the opportunity to carry out massive attacks on European targets from various directions. A "demonstration strike" in a remote area was also discussed.
Military experts also emphasize that Russia has apparently retained the ability to transport nuclear weapons on ships. This would have entailed the risk of an additional escalation as well as a devastating accident.
Military expert Fabian Hoffmann interprets that the main aim of the attacks was to spread fear. The aim was to signal to NATO that it was time to resolve any conflict with Russia.