Intelligence services of Ukraine, country headed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, warn of Russian “largescale exercises of strategic nuclear forces” | Photo: EFE/EPO/MYKOLA TYS
Ukraine’s intelligence services this Sunday (19) launched a warning that Russia is preparing to hold “largescale exercises of strategic nuclear forces” as a form of “blackmail” on the eve of the visit of the President of the United States. Joe Biden, to Poland.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced that it has confirmed that Russia is preparing parts of its nuclear forces for maneuvers involving the launching of ballistic and cruise missiles.
In preparation for such exercises, the functioning of the centralized combat control system of the Russian Armed Forces was tested, and as part of these tests, the nuclear forces were brought to the highest level of combat readiness, Ukrainian intelligence reports.
According to Kiev’s intelligence agencies, the decision to conduct the maneuvers is part of an attempt to complicate Biden’s visit to Europe. The American President will land in Warsaw, Poland, on Monday on a trip to coincide with the first anniversary of the Russian invasion.
Moscow’s strategy is to use “direct nuclear blackmail” to “weaken international support for Ukraine,” according to Kiev intelligence. The warning comes days after Norway’s defense ministry’s annual report raised the possibility that Russia has transferred some of its nuclear capabilities to ships and submarines in its Northern Fleet.