Vladimir Putin has issued increasingly dire threats of retaliation against Ukraine. This announcement follows up on that multibillion-dollar drone attack the other day, which damaged or destroyed over 40 Russian aircraft. The attack reportedly was aimed at Russian nuclear facilities located in Severomorsk. This situation has understandably raised new alarms among global leaders and security analysts alike, escalating fears of a wide-reaching military confrontation.
Yet Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, recently warned in strikingly dire terms. He now argues that the latest US drone strike may have set the stage for a third world war. In response, Dmitriev characterized the Ukrainian attack as an attack on “Russian nuclear assets.” He underscored the need for unambiguous communication to address the growing risks associated with the ongoing hostilities.
“Clear communication is urgent – to grasp reality and the rising risks before it’s too late,” said Dmitriev.
The drone strike coincided with ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, where Russian forces have faced significant setbacks, including routs near Kharkiv and Kherson in September 2022. Accompanying this advice, officials close to Putin are warning that the Kremlin is seriously contemplating deploying battlefield nuclear weapons. They view this as the making of a possible Russian counter response to halt Ukrainian gains.
US national security officials have repeatedly warned of the risk of nuclear escalation. Secondly, they think Russian forces are underperforming their capabilities. If this pattern holds, we could see a 50 percent risk that Moscow would eventually deploy nuclear weapons. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, expressed his doubts. He said, “The risks are increasing dramatically.” He too confirmed rumors that Ukraine had in fact hit the Russian nuclear fleet at Severomorsk.
Now that things are escalating, Putin’s advisers are sending out alarms to former President Donald Trump. They show that the threat of a nuclear war is increasing. Trump remarked, “President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”
Dmitriev joined two prior witnesses to underscore the immediate dangers that Russia now positioned. He called on the United States to refrain from any activities that might be interpreted as encouraging strikes on Russian strategic nuclear forces. He stated, “It is not in America’s interest for Ukraine to be attacking Russia’s strategic nuclear forces the day before another round of peace talks.”
Charlie Kirk, a notable commentator on international affairs, highlighted the severity of the situation: “Most people aren’t paying attention, but we’re closer to nuclear war than we’ve been since this began in 2022.” This declaration highlights the immediate risk of the war and its possibility to spiral into an unprecedented level surpassing traditional warfare.
For the duration of the current war in Ukraine, Russia has employed heavy bombers to strike Ukrainian cities. In particular, they have forward-deployed their Tu-95 and Tu-22M bombers to strike cruise missile attacks. The implications In the wake of this latest drone attack, Russian officials have reacted with an escalated tone. First, they are dramatically inflating the prospect of nuclear use in order to dissuade further Western assistance to Ukraine.
The complicated history of Ukraine only serves to complicate the crisis today. In 1994, Ukraine voluntarily relinquished its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security assurances from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. As military provocations on both sides continue to increase, this decision comes under a growing spotlight.