Related Post
The Sunday Times published a report explaining how this could be implemented. Russia tactical nuclear strike in Ukraineand the difficulties it faces, citing military experts who believe that the Russian President Vladimir Putin This weapon will not be used.
The newspaper said that experts attributed their belief to the fact that his army lacks the elite forces and armored vehicles to carry out any strike.
Putin had warned last week that giving Ukraine permission to launch missiles wouldhappy storm“In the long run, it would put the West at war with his country. This would dramatically change the nature of the conflict,” he said.
The newspaper pointed out that the West had faced such intimidation before, adding that the possibility of Kiev launching Anglo-French cruise missiles at Russia had once again raised the issue of nuclear war after months of “increasing” threats from Russia.
Moscow said this month it was changing its nuclear doctrine in response to what it sees as a Western “escalation” in the war in Ukraine. In July, Moscow held drills tactical nuclear weapons Near Ukraine, in March, Putin warned that Russia was ready for nuclear war “from a military-technical point of view,” referring to the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons designed for use on the battlefield.
How does tactical nuclear work?
How do tactical nuclear weapons work, and will Moscow actually deploy them? The Sunday Times says that unlike intercontinental ballistic missiles, which have nuclear warheads that can destroy entire cities, tactical warheads are intended for use in combat only. They are less powerful than city-destroying nuclear warheads and can have a smaller warhead of up to one kiloton (the bomb dropped by America on Hiroshima during World War II It was 15 kilotons in size.
It is not known exactly how many tactical weapons Russia has, but estimates suggest its stockpile is around 2,000 ready warheads, about 10 times the number the United States has, she added, noting that tactical warheads can be quietly transported and launched using conventional weapons systems that Russia has already deployed in Ukraine.
In theory, these weapons would not be used against large cities like Kiev or Lviv but to punch a hole in the Ukrainian front line, as in the region of Donbasswhere Russia focuses much of its military efforts.
However, the consequences of a tactical nuclear detonation would be scorched earth, flattened buildings, possibly thousands of dead, contaminated rivers, and persistent radiation that would leave the affected area uninhabitable.
The impact depends on the size of the warhead used. A 10-kiloton bomb would cause severe damage and radiation poisoning to anything within a 800-meter radius, leaving few or no survivors, and causing damage up to 10 miles (16 kilometers), according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
According to George Barros of the Institute for the Study of War, what Soviet doctrine was supposed to do was move mechanized infantry, put in protective suits, into tanks, then cars, and into the nuclear mushroom cloud.
great difficulties
Barros believes that the elite soldiers with the skills needed for such an operation are long dead, killed in the early stages of the war, while the Kremlin's armored vehicles have deteriorated to the point of being ineffective.
Barros explains that Russian doctrine stipulates the use of tactical nuclear weapons to destroy a large central target such as areas where there are large numbers of aircraft, tanks, infantry, military equipment and ammunition.
Therefore, Baros says, with the Ukrainian military being so decentralized and under-resourced, there is no large, enticing target to justify such a strike, adding that using a tactical nuclear weapon in these situations would mean it would be pointless and of no military advantage.
Putin won't use it.
Despite Putin’s fiery rhetoric, Russia is unlikely to use nuclear weapons if Ukraine uses Western missiles inside Russian territory, Barros said. “I don’t think that’s the kind of escalation that Western officials are worried about,” Barros added.
Geopolitical pressure and the risk of Russia losing support from its allies are also factors preventing the conflict from turning nuclear, Barros adds, noting that Putin's talk of nuclear war has previously annoyed the Chinese president. Xi Jinping and the indian prime minister Narendra ModiBoth expressed their fear of this option.
William Courtney, a former US negotiator with the commission that implemented the test ban treaty, said: soviet unionIgnoring these appeals for moderation will only increase Russia’s international isolation, bring rebukes and the loss of potential cooperation from its partners.
What's happening now?
By the time Moscow issues the threats, Kyiv will be identifying military targets inside Russia that are within tempting range of Storm Shadow missiles, Courtney added. Military experts have noted that the Kremlin will have already moved many of its most valuable assets out of reach.
However, there are some things that cannot be moved, such as airports, vehicle repair centers, oil refineries, and headquarters. Direct strikes on these facilities would significantly disrupt Putin’s war machine.
