The main intelligence directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (GUR) confirmed that Moscow is preparing elements of its nuclear forces to conduct maneuvers, including the launch of cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
In preparation for these exercises, the operation of the centralized combat control system of the Russian Armed Forces was verified and as part of this test, the nuclear forces were placed on the highest combat alert levels, the GUR said in a statement.
Ukrainian secret services say the decision to carry out these maneuvers is part of an effort to “complicate” the visit to Europe of President Joe Biden, who lands in Warsaw on Monday, on a trip that coincides with the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow’s strategy includes using “direct nuclear blackmail” to “weaken international support for Ukraine,” concludes the GUR, quoted by Efe news agency.
The intelligence agency’s alarm comes days after the Norwegian Defense Ministry’s annual report raised the possibility that Russia has transferred some of its nuclear capabilities to the ships and submarines of the Northern Fleet.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, which began on February 24, 2022, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II, in the 1940s.
Source: DN
