russia deploying ships carrying nuclear missiles – Norwegian intelligence
For the first time since the Soviet Union, the russian federation has resumed stationing sea ships with tactical nuclear weapons on board, according to the Focus-2023 report by Norway's intelligence.
In addition, russia has underwater capabilities, anti-satellite weapons, and cyber assets that can also threaten Norway and NATO, the report said.
In October, satellite images were leaked online, showing that russia had deployed Tu-160 and Tu-95 strategic bombers near the border with Norway. These are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Norwegian intelligence noted that during Soviet times, ships of the russian navy's northern fleet used to go to sea with tactical nuclear weapons. However, such cases have not been reported since the Cold War.
"The main part of the nuclear forces is placed on submarines and surface ships of the russian navy's northern fleet," Norwegian intelligence emphasized. Norwegian analysts reported that tactical nuclear weapons pose "a grave threat in several operational scenarios in which NATO countries can participate."
Earlier, the Secretary of the National Security Council, Oleksii Danilov, said that russia stopped "rattling" nuclear weapons after China warned the kremlin.
At the same time, the Defense Intelligence chief of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, said in an interview with the Washington Post that russia would not dare to use nuclear weapons, arguing that its authorities understand that this would lead to russia's collapse. Earlier, Budanov explained that the decision to launch missiles must go through all levels of the russian command.
vladimir putin, the president of russia, repeatedly threatened to deploy a nuclear weapon after a string of defeats on the battlefield in Ukraine, especially the Kherson region, which opened the conversations of the liberation of Crimea, temporarily occupied since 2014. In a nationally televised speech, he even declared, "We will without a doubt use all possible means to protect russia and our people if the territorial integrity of our country is challenged. This isn't bluff."
putin has frequently emphasized that moscow has the greatest nuclear arsenal in the world ever since he gave the order to invade Ukraine on February 24. He has held high-profile nuclear drills, declared russia's nuclear forces to be in "special combat readiness," and made subliminal threats to use a nuclear weapon if any country stands in the way of his attempt to destabilize the government in Kyiv.
