FT: Journalists reveal details of Russia’s doctrine of war with NATO
13 August, 2024 Launch of the Kalibr cruise missile from a ship of the Russian Navy Russia's doctrine of war with NATO assumes massive combined strikes with conventional and tactical nuclear weapons against Western European countries. The Financial Times reported on this with reference to 29 secret Russian files obtained from Western sources.
The journalists of the publication got acquainted with the internal Russian documentation on plans for war with the North Atlantic Alliance, which were prepared in the period between 2008 and 2014. Russian officers noted the advantages of combined strikes on enemy territory using conventional weapons and tactical nuclear weapons in the early stages. The Russian Defense Ministry assigns an important role in strike operations to its navy, which carries a large arsenal of cruise missiles and is capable of using special warheads.
One of the documents states that the "high maneuverability" of the Navy allows for "sudden and preemptive strikes" and "massive missile strikes from different directions." It adds that nuclear weapons are "generally" intended to be used "in combination with other means of destruction" to achieve Russia's goals.
The Dagestan patrol ship fires a Kalibr-NK missile system. Source: Russian Defense Ministry
Priority targets of the Russian Navy
The files obtained by the journalists included maps that were probably created for presentation rather than operational use.
32 targets for the missiles of the Russian fleet in Europe are marked on them. For the Baltic Fleet, the targets are mainly in Norway and Germany. They included the Bergen naval base (Norway), radar stations, and special-purpose facilities.
According to the documents, the Northern Fleet is supposed to hit defense industry facilities, including a shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, where warships and submarines are built. The target near Hull could be an industrial site - it is marked by a smokestack. The presentation also illustrates how its doctrine can be applied in possible wars in the Black and Caspian Seas, as well as in the Pacific Ocean.
The maps include, in particular, scenarios of war with Russia's current allies - China, Iran, Azerbaijan, and North Korea, the FT notes.
Ships of the Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
In the event of a conflict with NATO, the documents name weakening the enemy's military and economic potential as a priority. Analysts cited by the FT believe that this means striking at civilian targets and critical infrastructure, as was the case in Ukraine.
The presentation also mentions the option of a "demonstration strike" - detonating nuclear weapons in a remote area to intimidate Western countries.
Such a strike, according to the documents, should demonstrate "the availability and readiness to use high-precision non-strategic nuclear weapons" and "the intention to use nuclear weapons."