Russia’s new nuclear challenge to Europe

[Mike Baker]

LINK

Russia is considering arming its Baltic fleet with nuclear warheads for the first time since the cold war, senior military sources warned last night.

The move, in response to American plans for a missile defence shield in Europe, would heighten tensions raised by the advance of Russian forces to within 20 miles of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, yesterday.

Under the Russian plans, nuclear warheads could be supplied to submarines, cruisers and fighter bombers of the Baltic fleet based in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between the European Union countries of Poland and Lithuania. A senior military source in Moscow said the fleet had suffered from underfunding since the collapse of communism. “That will change now,” said the source.

“In view of America’s determination to set up a missile defence shield in Europe, the military is reviewing all its plans to give Washington an adequate response.”

The proposal to bring back nuclear warheads was condemned by Kurt Volker, the US ambassador to Nato, who said he knew of the threat.

“It is really unfortunate that Russia chooses to react by putting nuclear warheads in different places – if indeed it does that – when the rest of the world is not looking at some kind of old-fashioned superpower conflict,” he said.

The warnings came 24 hours after Russia told Poland that it could face a nuclear strike for agreeing to let the United States station components of the missile defence shield on its soil.

The Russian military also said it would ignore attempts to restrict the movement of its Black Sea fleet in and out of Sebastopol, in Ukraine. The Crimean port was emerging as a potential flashpoint in Russia’s efforts to prevent former Soviet countries on its borders from joining Nato.

More on the link.


Mods do you think it's possible to merge most of the topics regarding Russia. Like a Russian Super Thread?


-Deadpan

 

[armyca08]

“It is really unfortunate that Russia chooses to react by putting nuclear warheads in different places – if indeed it does that  "



Anyone else find that line funny?



PS anyone finding the war of words to be beyond lame and to the bombard them with Russia bad bad mumbo jumbo in an effort to brainwash people point - like the word terrorsist was put akin to anyone who is militant who isn't on our side happened in 2001.


I like Russia more as an ally then an enemy. Just like last month wasn't that the case. One little invasion of a rouge country then all of a sudden Russia is lead by the Soviets again. Are the boomers really that depressed and bored? Russia is like a mix of NYC and the Dutch language all in one. Pretty kewl if you ask me.

Well see by election time the media will have no choice but to cover the lame election stuff over any conflict etc...  that is only two or three weeks away.

 

[JackD]

Well, this got me to re-read about the U-137 incident (Whiskey on the rocks http://compunews.com/s139/sp2.htm). The port of Kaliningrad itself is  almost closed by the Vistula spit - the Strait of Baltiysk requires constant dredging - is (as a quick source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Baltiysk) 400 m wide, 12 meters deep (additional source: http://www.portofbaltiysk.narod.ru/) . My wife's family vacations in that area - went once myself (14 days - 13 3/4 rain - a hair's width from divorce).

Supposedly Russia has already been transferring nuclear weaponry in the area (Bill Gertz, "Russia Transfers Nuclear Arms to Baltics," Washington Times, 3 January 2001, p. 1 (referenced in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliningrad_(Russia)).  And the European Union provides funds for the place...