Russia loads second monster nuclear missile in silo, issues renewed threat to NATO
By jdheyes // 2022-12-18
Copy
 
The government of Russian President Vladimir Putin is making noises again about a potential nuclear attack on a major NATO ally, and frankly, it's something that the entire alliance should take seriously. Earlier this week, Russian state television filmed a crew loading a monster Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile into a second silo while threatening to destroy London, according to the UK's Daily Mail. "Footage released by state media shows the Yars rocket, which can be tipped with a nuclear warhead and range all of Europe and the mainland US, being loaded into the ground at the Kozelsky base, 160 miles south of Moscow," the report said. "It comes just a day after more footage showed another missile arriving at the same base and as a retired Russian general said Russia should prioritize striking London over Washington DC.," the report added. Any firing of a nuclear missile by Russia against a NATO member will trigger World War III, without a doubt, and likely invite a devastating nuclear response. "You don't have to [strike] Washington first – it's too far away," Lt. Gen. Andrey Gurulev told state TV. "London is next door…. London is the main hotbed of all nastiness." The report noted further:

Vladimir Putin has been ramping up his nuclear sabre-rattling since declaring war on Ukraine back in February, with the West his main target.

Such threats have been dialled back in recent weeks after Beijing told him to stop, but they are slowly building again ahead of Russia's annual Strategic Missile Forces Day on Saturday.

Putin is angry that Russian soldiers and airmen are dying by the thousands in Ukraine, thanks in large part to an influx of Western weapons, mainly from the United States. Some recent estimates have put the Russian military death toll at more than 90,000 troops; Putin amassed 140,000-plus prior to his invasion of his western neighbor in February 2022. As we approach the one-year anniversary, he does not appear to be any closer to taking over Ukraine, and in fact, his forces have actually retreated in recent weeks.

He issued a call for 300,000 reservists to be called up and mobilized; at last count, most had been deployed in and around Ukraine. But again, reports said these troops are poorly trained, poorly equipped, and badly led, with many likely to become casualties as Ukrainian forces dig in and continue to push back on Russian troops, hard.

Over the past month, Putin has ordered missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure. Power stations and other vital services have been targeted, leading some to accuse him of committing war crimes.

"The last time Russia showed off its Yars missiles was back in October when Putin oversaw the annual Grom nuclear drills. Submarines, nuclear-capable bombers and Russia's nuclear missile forces all took part in those exercises – watched over by Putin in his nuclear command center," the Daily Mail reported. "Colonel Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russia’s National Defence magazine, said afterwards that the drills were a rehearsal for destroying the UK and US."

Following the release of the latest footage showing a Yars being loaded into a silo, Gurulev said that the U.S. and the rest of the West were bent on seeing Ukraine attack Targets on Russian soil.

"So why are we embarrassed to say that we should strike London?" he told state TV. "I am not saying that we should demolish everyone. We should destroy critical facilities – control centers, military bases, and airfields."

He added: "I am sure we should have a catalog in the General Staff and it is being updated all the time… Is it nuclear…[or not]? If it is not nuclear, you have to calculate how many missile carriers, ships, aircraft, satellite constellation(s)… and long-range [drones] are needed. And a strike on London, strange as it may sound, would be the first and last warning to the [real decision-makers – Washington]," he added.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

RT.com

Copy