US, Russia Outline Peace Proposal for Ukraine
The diplomatic talks between the United States and Russia, which began on 18 February in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have seen the two countries proposing a three-stage peace plan
Russia's navy has been preparing to target sites deep within Europe using nuclear-capable missiles, according to classified documents obtained by the Financial Times. These files reveal detailed plans for potential strikes as far from Russia as the west coast of France and Barrow-in-Furness in the UK. This strategy, which predates Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, underscores a broader vision of conflict extending well beyond NATO's immediate borders.
The documents, produced between 2008 and 2014, outline a range of targets for missiles equipped with either conventional or tactical nuclear warheads. Russian officers emphasize the benefits of deploying nuclear strikes early in a conflict. The presentation also indicates that Russia maintains the capability to carry nuclear weapons on surface ships, a factor that could heighten risks of escalation or accidents.
The files show that Russia's naval strategy involves conducting "sudden and pre-emptive blows" and "massive missile strikes from various directions," with nuclear weapons often used in combination with other forms of destruction. Analysts who reviewed the documents find them consistent with NATO's assessments of Russia's readiness to employ long-range missiles and the likelihood of rapid nuclear use.
A significant portion of the target list, though only a sample, includes 32 NATO sites across Europe. William Alberque, a former NATO official, noted that this represents just a fraction of potentially thousands of targets mapped across the continent, encompassing both military and critical infrastructure.
Experts suggest that Russia's ability to strike across Europe means that any engagement with NATO forces in frontline countries like the Baltic states and Poland would put a wide range of targets at risk. Jeffrey Lewis from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies highlighted that Russia's concept of war involves using tactical nuclear weapons as potentially decisive tools, despite their lower range and destructive capacity compared to strategic nuclear weapons.
Additionally, the documents reference a "demonstration strike" concept, where a nuclear weapon might be detonated in a remote area to intimidate Western nations before actual conflict begins. This strategy aims to showcase Russia's readiness and willingness to use nuclear weapons, although Russia has not officially acknowledged such tactics.
Dara Massicot from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explained that Russian strategists see nuclear weapons as crucial in early stages of conflict with NATO due to the military's limited conventional resources. The leaked documents also suggest that Russia has retained the capability to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on surface ships, contrary to a 1991 agreement to eliminate such armaments.
Recent exercises, including the loading of Soviet-era anti-ship missiles onto a corvette in Kaliningrad, align with the leaked documents and reflect ongoing Russian military practices. These drills involved the 12th GUMO, responsible for handling nuclear warheads, and demonstrated procedures for managing and deploying nuclear weapons.
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