Russia has trained its Navy to strike targets located deep within European territory with nuclear warhead missiles as part of a potential conflict with NATO. This is revealed by the Financial Times, citing classified files it has been able to view.
The target maps—which include locations as far as the western coast of France and Barrow-in-Furness in the United Kingdom—are listed in a presentation intended for officers prior to the large-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Financial Times had previously reported, based on the same 29 secret Russian military files, that Moscow had considered using tactical nuclear weapons in the early stages of a conflict with a major world power.
The latest revelations show how Russia has envisioned a conflict with the West that extends far beyond NATO’s immediate borders, planning a series of attacks across Western Europe. The documents were shown to the the media by Western sources. The files, drafted between 2008 and 2014, include a list of targets for missiles that can carry either conventional warheads or tactical nuclear weapons. Russian officers emphasize the advantages of using nuclear strikes at an early stage.
The documents indicate that Russia has maintained the ability to carry nuclear weapons on surface ships, a capability that, according to experts, poses significant additional risks of escalation or accidents. The documents note that the Navy’s “high maneuverability” allows for “sudden and preemptive strikes” and “massive missile attacks … from various directions.” They add that nuclear weapons are “generally” intended for use “in combination with other means of destruction” to achieve Russia’s objectives.
Analysts who have reviewed the documents said they are consistent with how NATO has assessed the threat of long-range missile attacks by the Russian Navy and the speed at which Russia would likely resort to the use of nuclear weapons.
The maps, which were created for presentation purposes rather than operational use, illustrate a sample of 32 NATO targets in Europe for the Russian naval fleets. The targets of the Russian Baltic Fleet are largely in Norway and Germany, including the naval base at Bergen, radar sites, and special forces facilities. The Russian Northern Fleet is expected to strike defense industrial targets in northwestern England, such as the submarine shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness. A target near Hull could be an industrial site.
