Maps of distant targets – including the west coast of France and Berow Furness in Britain – were detailed in a presentation to officers, which was prepared even before Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine.
The newspaper previously reported that the same 29 secret Russian military documents show Moscow has been working on using tactical nuclear weapons in the early stages of a conflict with a world power.
Zero public information suggests that Russia envisions a conflict with the West far beyond its immediate border with NATO, planning a series of powerful strikes across Western Europe.
The documents, created between 2008 and 2014, include a list of targets for missiles that could carry both conventional warheads and tactical nuclear weapons.
Russian officers emphasize the advantages of launching nuclear strikes at an early stage.
Analysts familiar with the documents say they are consistent with NATO’s assessment of the threat posed by Russia’s long-range missile strikes and the speed with which Russia could move to use nuclear weapons.
The maps, which were created for presentation rather than operational purposes, show 32 NATO targets in Europe that could be threatened by the Russian navy.
The targets of the Russian Baltic fleet are mostly located in Norway and Germany. Among them, the Bergen Naval Base, as well as radar facilities and special forces facilities.
The leaked documents also indicate that Russia has retained the ability to carry tactical nuclear weapons on surface ships, despite a 1991 agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States to eliminate them.
Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons carriers list “anti-submarine missiles with nuclear warheads deployed on surface ships and submarines” and “ship and shore-based surface-to-air missiles with nuclear warheads to destroy enemy air defense groups.”
According to the publication, the recent drills held at the behest of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to practice the use of tactical nuclear weapons show that the classified documents obtained by the newspaper are still in line with current Russian military doctrine.
In June, the Russian Armed Forces rehearsed the loading of Soviet-era P-270 anti-ship missiles onto Tarantul-class corvettes in Koenigsberg (Karalyuchi), where NATO officials claim an undeclared stockpile of tactical nuclear warheads is stored.
2024-08-13 19:32:07