U.S. accused of taking out Russian nuclear missile early warning system in latest escalation

U.S. accused of taking out Russian nuclear missile early warning system in latest escalation

Cassie B.

Fears are growing that a major escalation could be on the horizon in the Russia-Ukraine conflict following a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian radar station for tracking nuclear missiles that some Russian officials believe the U.S. was behind.

This week, Ukraine hit the high-tech Armavir radar station in the border area of Krasnodar. The system provided Russia with conventional air defense but also played a key role in its nuclear warning system. It has also been used to track the long-range ATACMS missiles that the U.S. supplied to Ukraine.

Officials in Kiev have already acknowledged their responsibility for the attack, confirming over the weekend that they targeted the facility.

A senior researcher for the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich, Mauro Gilli, said that he believes the move was a tactical success because it means Russia will have to redeploy its air defense systems. It also sent a message that no military site in Russia is untouchable.

However, many other analysts in the West have expressed reservations about the move and believe that Ukraine should not target any Russian nuclear infrastructure.

Federation of American Scientists nuclear arsenal expert Hans Kristensen said: “Not a wise decision on the part of Ukraine.”

Norwegian military analyst Thord Are Iversen agreed, saying that the move was “not a particularly good idea… especially in times of tension. It’s in everyone’s best interest that Russia’s ballistic missile warning system works well.”

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