Russian nuclear launcher heading for NATO borders. Experts: This is preparation for war

The pro-Kremlin daily Izvestiya, citing Defense Ministry sources, said that Iskander-M missile launchers had been deployed in the Russian region of Karelia, which borders Finland. Capable of launching both cruise and ballistic missiles, including missiles with nuclear warheads, the Iskander rocket launchers are part of the missile brigade that belongs to the recently established Leningrad Military District. It also includes two corps that are stationed in the Königsberg and Murmansk regions. Reported by Newsweek.

According to the former commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet, Vladimir Valuev, the creation of the missile brigade is Putin’s reaction to Finland’s entry into NATO. After Helsinki joined the alliance, Russia’s border with NATO countries was extended by almost 1,300 km. At the same time, the alliance has the largest artillery force in Europe, with 700 howitzers, 700 large-caliber mortars and 100 missile systems.

At the end of last year, Finland signed a defense cooperation agreement with the US, which provides the US military with up to 15 military bases where it can store equipment and ammunition. These include four air bases, a military port and a railway line in the north of the country. American military depots will be located along the line leading to the Russian border. In this way, the alliance protects itself in case of a possible attack by Russia.

Putin is quietly preparing for war with NATO

According to experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the fact that the Leningrad Military District, which was abolished at the beginning of 2010, was restored, indicates that the Kremlin is preparing for a full-scale war with NATO countries. Russia’s military expansion and military restructuring are other indicators that Moscow is preparing for a potential war with NATO.

ISW did not give a time frame for a possible war, but noted that Russia’s readiness to attack the alliance depends largely on the financial resources Putin is willing to devote to the military effort.

despite Putin’s denials, many Western officials have warned of a long-term threat from Russia to NATO countries. Polish President Andrzej Duda said on March 19 that Russia could attack NATO as early as 2026 or 2027. Poland’s National Security Agency previously estimated that Russian troops could attack the alliance in less than 36 months.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen expressed similar concerns, suggesting that Russia could attack NATO within three to five years. Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also warned that NATO must prepare for a possible confrontation with Russia.

Until recently, the entire western border of Russia was controlled by the Western Military District. However, by Vladimir Putin’s decree of February 26, this circuit was divided into two separate ones. From now on, the Moscow District will be in charge of patrolling the borders with Ukraine and Poland, while the Leningrad District will deal with the northeastern border with NATO. This restructuring will allow the Russian army to better control the situation both in the fighting in Ukraine and in taking strategic positions vis-a-vis NATO countries, the Institute for the Study of War emphasizes.

What is Iskander-M?

The 9K720 Iskander-M mobile short-range ballistic missile system, known by the NATO codename SS-26 Stone, is the core of Russia’s modern precision strike capabilities.

First developed in the 1970s as a replacement for the Scud-B, the program was accelerated by the need to replace the SS-23 Spider, which Moscow retired in 1988 due to limitations imposed by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

Entered into service in 2006, the Iskander is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads weighing up to 1,500 pounds. Its missiles can reach speeds of up to seven times the speed of sound (Mach 7) and reach heights of over 30 miles.

According to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), the Iskander uses a maneuverable reentry vehicle (MaRV) and decoys to defeat missile defense systems in theater.

First tested in 2008 during the Russo-Georgian war, the system can be equipped with conventional warheads such as cluster warheads, fuel-to-air explosives, bunker buster and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) warheads.

The MDAA described the Iskander as “the weapon of choice for Moscow when it threatens all of Europe,” noting that Moscow had indicated in 2012 that it could be used to target missile defense systems in Europe, including by threatening to deploy some missiles in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad bordering the Baltic states.

According to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Iskanders are an important part of the Russian military and played a key role during the invasion of Ukraine. Moreover, RUSI emphasized that these systems are not only capable of waging war, but can also play a critical role in ending a conflict.

The Iskanders are assigned to Russia’s missile brigades, which are separate from the strategic missile brigades. These brigades provide precision strike support to ground troops, and at least one brigade is assigned to each military district.

According to RUSI, the Iskander system is likely to be a key element in Russia’s attempt to resolve the conflict, either through conventional attacks on infrastructure in Europe or through the threat of using nuclear weapons.

Military documents obtained by Britain’s Financial Times in February revealed that experts said the threshold at which Russia was considering using tactical nuclear weapons was “lower than it has publicly stated”.