The US is worried about Russian nuclear weapons. The threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine seem to depend on one factor in particular.
Moscow/Munich – Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has not hesitated to threaten to use nuclear weapons. In his State of the Union address in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin repeated the threat of nuclear war if the West sent troops to Ukraine. It also creates the impression that Putin's red line could be crossed by Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. But the USA is worried about other Russian nuclear plans.
Russia's nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war: eternal threats and new worries
The possible use of nuclear weapons is one of Russia's rhetorical means of war. Examples such as the threat made by former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in January are repeated. Putin communicates openly about crossing the red line, which would lead to the use of nuclear weapons. In the fall of 2022, during a speech on the mobilization of reservists, he said: “When the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, to protect Russia and our people, we absolutely use all the means at our disposal.”
Russia's integrity could also be threatened by increasing Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. On April 11, Ukrainian armed forces are said to have attacked a radar facility in the town of Kovylkino in the Russian Mordovia Oblast, which is around 680 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. According to a presidential decree from Putin in 2020, such an attack fulfills one of the conditions for the possibility of using nuclear weapons by Russia.
Russia's strong position in the Ukraine war - the danger of nuclear weapons is decreasing
The frequency of the threat also seems to be related to the situation in the Ukraine war. The situation in Ukraine is becoming increasingly serious for the Ukrainian armed forces. A lack of ammunition and anti-aircraft missiles weakens Kiev's position in the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns that Ukraine will be defeated if the US continues to fail to supply weapons. Russia is currently focused on damaging and destroying infrastructure in Ukraine. Because Ukraine lacks defensive missiles, some of Russia's attacks have been successful.
Russia's strong position in Ukraine therefore also affects threats with nuclear weapons from Putin and other Kremlin politicians. Western intelligence services see no new signs that Russia's nuclear threats will be implemented, as the
FAZ
reported.
Russia's nuclear weapons in space? – USA worries about “serious” threat
Although the likelihood of a nuclear attack on Ukraine is currently low, the United States is currently monitoring another Russian nuclear development. There was great excitement in February when Republican Mike Turner spoke of a “serious” threat to US national security.
Accordingly, Moscow could plan to install a nuclear weapon system in space. According to estimates, such a nuclear strike in space could destroy commercial and government satellites. Western secret services worry that in addition to the United States' espionage capabilities, the control of entire weapons systems could also be destroyed.
Russia developments “very worrying” – cooperation with China
A Western diplomat told the
FAZ
that the findings were “very worrying” because a nuclear space program represented a “game changer.” With such an installation, Moscow would violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits the upgrade of space.
According to the Western diplomat, this would be a “completely different escalation.” How specific the plans are is not yet certain. Russia is planning an initial approach to nuclear deployments in space together with China. The two countries announced that they were planning a nuclear power plant on the moon.
(vk)