Russian Navy targets Europe, Türkiye with nukes, reports Financial Times
Russian corvette Mirazh passes through Istanbul en route for Syria. (Photo via BBC)
Leaked documents have revealed that Russia has trained its navy to target sites deep inside Europe and Türkiye with nuclear-capable missiles in a potential conflict with NATO, according to secret files reviewed by the Financial Times.
The files, drawn up between 2008 and 2014, highlight Russia’s strategy to conduct overwhelming strikes across Western Europe and Türkiye, indicating a broader scope of conflict beyond its immediate NATO frontier.
Nuclear capabilities, strategic targets
The leaked files include detailed maps showing potential targets as far-flung as the west coast of France, Barrow-in-Furness in the U.K. and four different locations in Türkiye.
The documents suggest that Russia’s navy could launch nuclear strikes at an early stage of the conflict, emphasizing the tactical use of nuclear weapons combined with conventional forces to achieve strategic objectives.
The documents also reveal that Russia has retained the capability to carry nuclear weapons on surface ships, a capacity that experts warn could escalate the risks of conflict.
High-Risk strategies
The files detail Russia’s plans to use the navy’s “high maneuverability” to conduct “sudden and pre-emptive blows” and “massive missile strikes from various directions.”
This strategy includes the potential use of nuclear weapons as part of a broader military campaign, aiming to weaken NATO’s military and economic potential.
Analysts reviewing the documents noted that this approach aligns with NATO’s assessment of the threat posed by long-range missile strikes from Russia.
Demonstration strikes, escalation risks
The documents also reference the option of a “demonstration strike”– detonating a nuclear weapon in a remote area before an actual conflict to intimidate Western countries.
While Russia has never publicly acknowledged such a strategy, the files indicate it as a potential tactic to signal the readiness and willingness to use nuclear weapons.
Surface ships, tactical nuclear weapons
Despite a 1991 agreement between the Soviet Union and the U.S. to remove tactical nuclear weapons from surface ships, the leaked documents confirm Russia has retained this capability.
The files list various naval assets, including anti-submarine missiles and anti-aircraft guided missiles with nuclear warheads, as part of Russia’s tactical nuclear arsenal.
This capability poses significant risks, as surface ships carrying nuclear weapons are more vulnerable to accidents or enemy attacks compared to strategic submarines.
Recent military exercises
Recent exercises ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, involving the loading of Soviet-era P-270 anti-ship cruise missiles onto surface ships, indicate that these capabilities remain a core component of Russia’s military strategy.
NATO officials have raised concerns about Russia’s undeclared stockpile of tactical nuclear warheads stored in locations such as Kaliningrad.
