Russian President Vladimir Putin | Archyde.com Yonhap News file photo
Faced with the escalating threat of nuclear war by Russia’s annexation of occupied Ukraine, the United States is considering how to respond to a number of potential scenarios related to it, CNN reported on the 3rd (local time).
According to reports, the U.S. began preparing an emergency plan in response to a Russian nuclear attack from the beginning of the war. In particular, various potential scenarios related to nuclear attacks are being studied. This includes Russia’s attack on the Zaporiza nuclear power plant or detonating nuclear weapons at high altitudes or in uninhabited areas, an official said. It is a scenario in which the Ukrainian military or its nuclear attack on densely populated areas is shown while avoiding the nuclear attack.
Officials said there were no signs of Russia’s preparations for a nuclear attack so far. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons is being taken seriously. “Putin can do anything,” said Mike Kigley, a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
The Wall Street Journal also pointed out that Putin’s nuclear threat should not be underestimated. “President Putin has been dissatisfied that Russia’s powerful nuclear force has not led to political influence since he came to power,” said Walter Russell Meade, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute and WSJ columnist. want to get it back “If the West makes major concessions through the nuclear threat, his purpose will be achieved to a large extent,” he said.
“Putin’s nuclear threat is not just against Ukraine, it’s an attack on the US-led world order,” he said. wrote
Russia is currently using nuclear weapons to move, increasing pressure on the West. According to reports such as The Times in the UK, a train of the Russian Defense Ministry’s nuclear equipment division was spotted moving toward the front of Ukraine over the weekend in central Russia. “It could be a signal that Russia is sending to the West,” said Konrad Musska, a Polish defense analyst specializing in defense.
Experts evaluated that such a move is more likely to be an armed protest against the West rather than an actual nuclear attack. The Times reported that the Russian submarine K-329 Belgorod carrying the nuclear torpedo Poseidon had set sail for the Arctic Ocean, and NATO had warned member states and allies of Russia’s plans to test Poseidon. The Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that a Russian nuclear test was imminent in the Kara Sea region of the Arctic Ocean.