NEW DELHI: Recent drone attacks by Ukraine on a Russian radar installation may have breached one of Russia’s declared red lines for deploying nuclear weapons, raising fears of an escalation in the ongoing conflict. The attacks targeted the 590th separate radio engineering center in Kovilkino, Mordovia, which houses the 29B6 “Container” radar. This radar is a crucial component of Russia’s early-warning network against aerospace attacks, including ballistic missiles.
The Kremlin’s 2020 decree, signed by President Vladimir Putin, explicitly outlines conditions under which Russia could use nuclear weapons. One of these conditions includes attacks that disrupt the “response actions of nuclear forces.” Given the strategic importance of the “Container” radar in detecting missile threats, the attacks could be seen as meeting this criterion, a Newsweek report said.
The first attack occurred on April 11, reportedly damaging the site’s command post, while the second followed on Wednesday morning. While Ukrainian media have reported these incidents, the full extent of the damage remains unclear, with ongoing assessments. Russian authorities confirmed that two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) involved in the second attack were shot down.
This development is particularly alarming given the broader context of nuclear threats since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. President Putin has repeatedly hinted at the possibility of nuclear engagement, intensifying global concerns about the war’s potential to escalate beyond conventional warfare.
In a stark reminder of the gravity of nuclear threats, Putin cautioned in March, “Western adversaries must realize that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don’t they get that?”
The international community remains on edge as the situation develops, with the potential for these drone strikes to shift the conflict into a more dangerous phase, bringing the specter of nuclear warfare closer to reality.
The Kremlin’s 2020 decree, signed by President Vladimir Putin, explicitly outlines conditions under which Russia could use nuclear weapons. One of these conditions includes attacks that disrupt the “response actions of nuclear forces.” Given the strategic importance of the “Container” radar in detecting missile threats, the attacks could be seen as meeting this criterion, a Newsweek report said.
The first attack occurred on April 11, reportedly damaging the site’s command post, while the second followed on Wednesday morning. While Ukrainian media have reported these incidents, the full extent of the damage remains unclear, with ongoing assessments. Russian authorities confirmed that two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) involved in the second attack were shot down.
This development is particularly alarming given the broader context of nuclear threats since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. President Putin has repeatedly hinted at the possibility of nuclear engagement, intensifying global concerns about the war’s potential to escalate beyond conventional warfare.
In a stark reminder of the gravity of nuclear threats, Putin cautioned in March, “Western adversaries must realize that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don’t they get that?”
The international community remains on edge as the situation develops, with the potential for these drone strikes to shift the conflict into a more dangerous phase, bringing the specter of nuclear warfare closer to reality.
