The Kremlin believes that NATO maneuvers lead to increased tension
During the NATO exercise Steadfast Noon, which started on October 14, missions in which alliance aircraft will carry US nuclear warheads will be practiced. About 2,000 people from 13 countries and more than 60 aircraft will take part in them. The Kremlin believes that the exercises lead to increased tension. Experts noted that the territory of the maneuvers was chosen so as not to directly affect Russia's strategic interests, but at the same time to show it its strengthened forces on the northern flank after Sweden and Finland joined the bloc. About the increasing activity of NATO near the northern borders of Russia and the possible consequences of this — in the material of Izvestia.
How many countries will take part in the Steadfast Noon nuclear exercise
The annual large-scale nuclear exercise Steadfast Noon with the participation of 2,000 troops from 13 NATO countries and more than 60 aircraft began on October 14. This was reported by the NATO press service.
"In an unstable world, it is vital to test our defenses and strengthen them so that our adversaries know that NATO is ready and able to respond to any threat," said the organization's Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The maneuvers will last two weeks. They will work out the issues of the use of the nuclear arsenal by the alliance's aviation. Military weapons will not be used during the exercises.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
Image source: Photo: TASS/AP/Kin Cheung
This year, flights are mainly planned over the host countries — Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as in the airspace over Denmark, the United Kingdom and the North Sea.
NATO nuclear exercises are held every year in October. On October 4, it became known that Finland would take part in these maneuvers for the first time.
The NATO press service also recalled that the alliance is constantly taking steps "to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of nuclear deterrence forces." In particular, in 2024, the new Dutch F-35A fighter jets were recognized as suitable for use in nuclear deterrence missions.
The Netherlands F-35A fighter
Image source: Photo: Italian Air Force
NATO is certainly exacerbating the situation by conducting nuclear exercises near the Russian borders, First Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee, State Duma deputy Alexei Zhuravlev told Izvestia.
— By the way, Finland, which has maintained neutrality for more than half a century, is taking part in them for the first time, — he noted. — This means that American nuclear weapons, which have never been there before, will be imported into the territory of this country. We know how it previously ended in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Turkey — bombs from the United States, which were supposedly delivered for temporary storage, are still there. By the way, these are ammunition with planning modules that can be launched from NATO aircraft at Russia without even crossing our border, that is, the threat of an attack from the same Finnish side increases many times.
What is the purpose of the Steadfast Noon exercise
The region of the exercises was chosen in order to demonstrate the capabilities of NATO on the northern flank, military expert Dmitry Kornev told Izvestia.
"The North Sea borders Great Britain, Holland, Denmark and Norway, and it does not belong to Russian strategic interests," he explained. — But now NATO has strengthened in the north. Finland and Sweden are now in an alliance. There used to be only Norway. They decided not to fly over the Baltic, apparently so as not to pull the "cat by the mustache." And the waters of the North Sea do not directly affect Russia's interests, so it is already possible to demonstrate its strength here.
According to the expert, both Russia and the West always react to certain serious events in the opposite camp.
— We will be watching these exercises one hundred percent. We need to know our opponent. To see its possibilities and mistakes. Most likely, the F-35 will be used in maneuvers, since NATO has a single aircraft, which is a massive carrier of tactical nuclear bombs. They are also adapted for the use of those nuclear bombs that are in European warehouses. And they form the basis of the air forces of several NATO countries. In particular, with the help of the F-35, they can practice striking through water at ground targets," Dmitry Kornev noted.
The F-35B fighter jet
Image source: Photo: TASS/EPA/POOL/Petros Karadjias
He recalled that at the end of October we will conduct exercises of strategic nuclear forces. Judging by the published navigation warnings, launches are expected from Plesetsk and the Barents Sea, as well as something is afoot in the Sea of Okhotsk.
The Russian Aerospace Forces will monitor the Steadfast Noon exercises, former chief of naval aviation of the Navy, Hero of Russia Major General Igor Kozhin told Izvestia.
This is a gross violation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, where the first paragraph reads as follows: nuclear-weapon States should not, either directly or indirectly, acquaint non-nuclear-weapon countries with their storage, production, operation and use. Military expert Viktor Litovkin told Izvestia about this.
"There are about 150-200 American B61 atomic bombs in Europe," he said. — They are located in Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey. And the planes of these countries are adapted to the use of these warheads. But, of course, they need training not only on paper. Since the planes will be equipped with dummies, and not real nuclear munitions, the launches of missiles and bombs will be electronic. By the way, there are airfields on the territory of Lithuania and Latvia, where these aircraft are constantly on combat duty. In a straight line to St. Petersburg, 200 km, for a multifunctional fighter it is a five-minute flight. The same easy access from there to Kaliningrad. So these exercises are a serious threat to us.
How did Russia react to the NATO nuclear exercises
All NATO statements emphasize that the exercise plan has nothing to do with Russia's statements about the possible use of nuclear weapons.
"We don't adjust to what is said or not said on a given day,— said NATO Deputy Secretary General Angus Lapsley. "We strive to deter any opponents, primarily Russia, in various ways, including conventional deterrence."
The military bloc also stressed that these exercises should not be qualified as a direct reaction to their own, but added that they should send some kind of signal to Moscow that the alliance is ready to use nuclear weapons in the worst-case scenario.
A soldier of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov
According to the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, NATO exercises lead to an escalation of tension. He also said that the Kremlin considers negotiations on nuclear weapons necessary, but taking into account the current state of affairs. Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, said that NATO's attempt to intimidate with a demonstration of its nuclear power would not lead to results.
"Russia's reaction to any move by the West that threatens our national security will follow immediately," he said.
NATO exercises should be perceived in the context of Russia's demonstration of the alliance's nuclear potential, Konstantin Blokhin, a leading researcher at the Center for Security Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with Izvestia.
— It is obvious that the West is at least trying to create the appearance that it is raising the stakes and escalating. And also, maybe, makes it clear that, defending Ukraine, he will do the unthinkable — up to the Third World War," he added.
According to the expert, with such exercises, NATO, and in particular the United States, may try to force Moscow to sit down at the negotiating table and accept the conditions for strategic stability that it imposes. We are talking about attempts by American President Joe Biden to lobby for talks with Moscow on limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons (or a new START).
Photo: TASS/Sergey Karpukhin
Image source: iz.ru
— Talking about a possible new START has several limitations. First, if Donald Trump comes to power again, then a new agreement of this kind can be put an end to, since all Republicans consider such negotiations with Moscow as a weakness. They were the ones who withdrew from the ABM Treaty, and Trump himself withdrew from the INF Treaty," the expert clarified.
The second factor is related to the PRC. The Americans want to involve Beijing in this bilateral agreement with the Russian Federation. At the same time, the Chinese say that the United States and the Russian Federation account for 90% of the total nuclear potential and the PRC can join such a treaty only when their potential is comparable.
— The third factor is Russian. The United States wants to limit Russian hypersonic weapons," Konstantin Blokhin explained.
According to the expert, it is very unlikely that Moscow will enter into such negotiations, but if it does, then Washington must make significant geopolitical concessions. In any case, there are no prerequisites for this now.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announced a meeting of the nuclear "five" (Russia, Great Britain, China, USA, France). At the same time, he expressed the hope that "the Western three participants in this format will behave at least a little more constructively."
Julia Leonova
Leonid Samuna
