Nuclear war “is no longer unthinkable” and atomic weapons “could” be used as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, a former military commander warned today.
Air Marshal Edward Stringer said Vladimir Putin’s authorization of the deployment of nuclear weapons was “within the realm of possibility” and “only a few steps away”.
He added that it was “a rather frightening prospect” and “clearly will put pressure on the minds of those who do all the political calculations.”
The former Director General for Joint Forces Development at Strategic Command and Assistant Chief of Staff of the Air Force was asked today about the possibility of nuclear war.
And he told LBC: “It is no longer unthinkable, and it will clearly weigh on the minds of those who are doing all the political calculations at the moment.
This image, provided by the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense on February 19, shows the launch of a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile from an airfield during a military exercise.
Servicemen at the Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles of the 54th Guards Missile Division of the 27th Guards Missile Army of the Strategic Missile Forces in Teikovo
“Hence a very direct and consistent line from (U.S. President Joe) Biden and all the other senior heads of state lately.”
LBC host Nick Ferrari also asked Air Marshal Stringer if it was possible for the Russian president to deploy nuclear weapons while the war was going on.
How many nuclear weapons does Russia have, but what about Britain and the US?
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which has been publishing a report on the world’s nuclear arsenals since 1987 by top experts from the Federation of American Scientists, updated its data on Russia’s nuclear arsenal last month.
It says the stockpile is approximately 4,477 warheads, of which about 1,588 are strategic warheads that can be deployed on ballistic missiles and heavy bomber bases.
The Bulletin also reported that there were approximately 977 additional strategic warheads in reserve, as well as 1,912 non-strategic warheads.
According to the Federation of American Scientists, the latest data suggests that the UK has a stockpile of about 225 nuclear warheads.
It also states that the US has 5428, France 290, Pakistan 165, China 350, India 160, Israel 90, and North Korea 20.
He replied, “It’s in the realm of possibility, and that’s what people need to understand. In other words, can he sketch out a plausible chain of events? And you can.
“And that is why, when calls were made for no-fly zones, the political leadership was quick to point out that NATO is a defensive alliance, that NATO is not under attack, that NATO is not built to go on the offensive if it did. fight with another nuclear power – Russia.
“Russian nuclear doctrine provides for the use of nuclear weapons. These are just a few steps to move from where we are now to a confrontation that could lead to the use of nuclear weapons, which I think is a rather horrifying prospect for any sane person.”
On February 27, Putin put Russia’s strategic nuclear forces on high alert, raising fears about what might happen next in the conflict in Ukraine.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace tried to allay fears about cold-water nuclear war, saying last month that while he understands the concerns, the language represents a “battle of rhetoric.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Tugendhat said Russia views nuclear weapons on the battlefield as simply “a bigger explosion” and could issue a military order to use them.
Experts say that if Russia attacks a NATO country, there may be retaliatory strikes from other NATO countries.
Nuclear weapons are capable of killing hundreds of thousands of people, depending on how populated the area targeted is. Others may be injured by radiation poisoning if a specific target is targeted.
It came as Russian bombardments of Ukraine approached central Kyiv and a series of strikes hit a residential area as leaders of three European Union countries planned to visit the stricken capital as a show of support.
Air Marshal Edward Stringer is the former Director General of Joint Forces Development at Strategic Command and Assistant Chief of Staff of the RAF.
Today, strong explosions thundered across Kiev from, according to the Ukrainian authorities, artillery strikes. An artillery shelling of a 15-story apartment building in the western district caused a huge fire and frantic rescue work. At least one person was killed.
Ukraine crisis means ‘big new stakes’ on nuclear power, says PM
The prime minister said a “series of new big bets” on nuclear power needed to be made to ensure the UK’s energy supply “is no longer at the mercy of bullies like Putin.”
Boris Johnson called on the West to end its “dependence” on Russian energy, saying of President Vladimir Putin: “If the world can end its dependence on Russian oil and gas, we can deprive it of money, destroy its strategy and reduce it to size.”
Writing for the Daily Telegraph ahead of the publication of his British Energy Security Strategy this month, Mr Johnson pushed for the expansion of nuclear power.
“So now is the time to make some big new bets on nuclear power,” he said. Labor’s 1997 manifesto stated that there were no “economic reasons” for more nuclear power, even though nuclear power was in fact safe, clean and reliable.
“The time has come to correct this historic mistake with a strategy that includes both small modular reactors and larger power plants.
“Great Britain was the first to split the atom. It was in the UK that the world’s first civilian nuclear power plant was built. It’s time to reclaim our advantage.
The shockwaves from the explosion also damaged the entrance to the downtown metro station, which was being used as a bomb shelter.
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration reported that the number of people who fled Ukraine after the Russian invasion on February 24 exceeded three million today.
And as Russia escalated its offensive against Kyiv, the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia announced they would travel to the Ukrainian capital today on an EU mission to show support for the country.
Czech Prime Minister Petru Fiala will be joined by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jaroslav Kaczynski, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the conservative ruling party.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were also planning a second day of talks as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is now in its 20th day.
The Red Cross and the United Nations Refugee Agency say millions of people face food and medical shortages, as well as threats of shelling and air attacks.
Millions more have fled their homes, and three million are reported to have fled to Poland and other neighboring countries, in what the UN has called the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
When Russia launched the war almost three weeks ago, fear of an imminent invasion gripped the Ukrainian capital, and residents slept in subway stations or crammed into trains to escape. But when the Russian offensive faltered, there was relative calm in Kyiv.
In recent days, fighting has intensified on the outskirts of the city, and air raid sirens sound from time to time around the capital.
In the early morning, artillery shelling hit the Svyatoshinsky district of western Kyiv, adjacent to the suburb of Irpen, where some of the heaviest fighting of the war took place.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured in the Kremlin in Moscow on March 1 this year.
Flames erupted from the 15-story apartment building and smoke filled the air as firefighters climbed ladders to rescue people.
As a result of the assault, several floors of the building turned black, a hole formed in the ground outside, and windows were smashed in neighboring apartment buildings.
A firefighter who arrived at the scene confirmed that one person died and several people were rescued, but others remained inside while rescuers tried to get to them.
A 10-story residential building in the Podolsky district of Kyiv, north of the government quarter, was also hit by an unspecified munition.