Russian Deputy Defense Minister, Anatoly Antonov, said that the nuclear bomb test conducted this month over Nevada, confirms US plans to deploy nuclear weapons to Europe, placing them within reach of the Russian Federation. He called the test “irresponsible” and “openly provocative”.
“It turns out that under the disguise of a notorious and invented threat coming from the Russian side, the United States was not only increasing the military potential and activity of NATO member states, but was upgrading its nuclear potential as well,” Antonov said on Monday.
Russia believes that the US conducted this test in order to examine the weapon’s potential use by NATO bombers in Europe.
”The atomic bomb, which was tested, is a dual purpose device. It can be both an element of strategic offensive weapons, when delivered by heavy bombers, and an element of non-strategic nuclear weapons when delivered by tactical aircraft”, Antonov said, “The special feature of the test was the fact that the F-15E fighter-bomber was used as a carrier for a nuclear weapon. This gives grounds to believe that the test was conducted in order to examine the possibility of using the B61-12 atomic bomb by NATO fighter-bombers stationed in Europe.”
Whether or not the allegations made by Russia are true, statements such as this do provide us with an inside look into the mindset of the Russian people. If Russians believe they may be subject to a NATO first strike, even if such a threat doesn’t exist, it will likely enhance the country’s readiness, which could increase the risk of a strategic miscalculation, potentially leading to nuclear war. With escalating tensions between Russia and the West possibly surpassing those which existed during the last cold war, there are concerns that the Russian Federation may conduct its own first strike against the West, on the assumption that the country is acting in its own defense.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States and NATO have placed thousands of troops, planes and heavy weapons very near to the Russian border. While these forces are said to be in place to reassure NATO allies in the region, Russians could easily mistake this military buildup as a prelude to attack on Russian territory. In response, Russia has steadily reminded the West that it is still a nuclear power, and that it will not hesitate to use such weapons, should the country feel threatened in any way.
While ISIS and civil rights cases currently flood mainstream media, primarily serving as a distraction away from real world events, Russians are truly preparing themselves for a major war with NATO. Since the end of the cold war, we have trained ourselves to believe that a nuclear war can never happen, this is exactly what our current government wants us to believe at this time. For this reason, Americans will surely be blindsided and unprepared should today’s events lead to a war such as this.
All it would take is one miscalculation, accident or false assumption, to set off a chain of events, which could negatively effect our children and children’s children for generations to come.
****************
Featured article originally published on:
TLB recommends you visit THE WAR MONITOR for more pertinent articles and information.
Leave a Reply