113 - Russian nuclear positioning before the Nordstream is attacked

 

Russia was actively reacting the the worsening of the security in the Baltic sea

It could be argued that Russia could see the attack on Nordstream as an attack on its assets.

The USA and NATO were not sure about the Russian response 

to the rogue attack on its infrastructure

It is possible to make a claim that the analysis and modelling of possible 
Russian responses led to the USA leaving Baltic sea on 21-09-2022 with immediate effect

BEFORE NORDSTREAM IS ATTACKED

16 Sept 2022 - ‘Don’t, don’t, don’t’: Biden presses Putin on nuclear weapons

US President Joe Biden has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to not use tactical nuclear or chemical weapons after a series of military losses in Ukraine.

Asked by an American reporter with the show 60 Minutes on US network CBS what he would say to Putin if he considered using such weapons, Biden said: “Don’t. Don’t. Don’t. It would change the face of war unlike anything since World War II.”

Biden said the US response would be “consequential” – but declined to give details.

“[Russia] would become more of a pariah in the world than they ever have been,” Biden said. “Depending on the extent of what they do, will determine what response would occur.”

Asked about Biden’s comments, RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying: “Read [Russia’s nuclear] doctrine. Everything is written there.”

Under Moscow’s doctrine, nuclear weapons can be used after “an aggression against Russia or its ally with the use of mass destruction weapons”, or “when the very existence of the state is under threat”.

 20 Sept 2022 - Russian State TV Says Queen's Funeral Was Ideal Time to Nuke U.K.

During a discussion on Monday, Andrey Gurulyov, a Russian member of parliament and a former army commander, disparaged President Joe Biden's appeal to Vladimir Putin not to use weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms.

When asked last week by CBS News about what his message would be to Putin if he was considering WMDs to help his faltering invasion, Biden replied, "don't, don't, don't," adding that this would spark consequences, without specifying further.

But Gurulyov appeared to dismiss the threat of any nuclear strike by Russia against Ukraine by suggesting that another target would be more likely.

"Did you hear all that nonsense he was spouting?" Gurulyov said of Biden, "what made him think we would conduct a nuclear strike against Ukraine?"

"We'll still have to live over there, in Ukraine. We have plenty of targets," he said, first mentioning the U.S. Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany. "Why would we bomb Ukraine and Germany when there is Britain, the root of evil?" he said.

21 Sept 2022 - Putin mobilizes and threatens nuclear weapons

President Vladimir Putin has announced partial mobilization in what is a clear Russian escalation of the war in Ukraine. It includes 300,000 reservists.

- I am not bluffing, said the Russian president when he announced the decision in a televised speech on Wednesday morning.

Shortly afterwards, Defense Minister Sergej Sjojgu stated in a televised interview that 300,000 people in the reserve forces will be mobilised.

He assured that this should not apply to conscripts and students, only those who have relevant combat experience.

The West wants to destroy Russia

In the speech, Putin said he is willing to use all available means to defend Russian territories while accusing the West of wanting to "weaken, divide and ultimately destroy our country."

- To those who allow themselves to make such statements about Russia, I would like to remind that our country also has various means of destruction, Putin said.

- When our country's territorial integrity is threatened, we will clearly use all the means we have to protect Russia and our people. This is no hoax, he added.

Nuclear threat

At the same time, Putin accused the West of carrying out "nuclear blackmail", after which he referred to "statements by some high-ranking representatives of leading NATO countries about the possibility of using weapons of mass destruction against Russia". It is unclear which statements he was referring to.

[MRT: Was it the UK? If it was the USA top official level Russia would put its nukes to silos and rang the nuclear preparedness alert.]

21 Sept 2022 - Former Putin adviser threatens nuclear strikes on UK: ‘Your cities will be targeted’

Ex-Russian lawmaker Sergei Markov blames Biden, Johnson, Truss for war after Putin announces partial mobilization; UK minister: ‘Talk of nuclear war is completely unhelpful’

A former key adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Britain with nuclear strikes in an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, shortly after Moscow announced a widespread mobilization of troops.

“In Russia there’s partial mobilization and for your British listeners Vladimir Putin told you that he would be ready to use nuclear weapons against Western countries, including nuclear weapons against Great Britain,” Sergei Markov told the BBC.

“Your cities will be targeted,” said the former Russian lawmaker, who serves as a key public defender of the Kremlin to the international press.

“Everybody in the world now is thinking of nuclear war,” Markov said, claiming that a potential escalation would be due to the “crazy behavior” of US President Joe Biden, as well the former and current British prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

“Biden, Johnson and Truss are fully responsible for the war in Ukraine,” he claimed, nearly seven months after Russia invaded its neighbor.

“It was absolutely clear that Russia has no war against Ukraine, Russia has no reason to use technical nuclear weapons against Ukrainians,” Markov said.

Putin has previously warned the West not to push Russia against the wall and has rebuked NATO countries for supplying weapons to help Ukraine.

In his address, which was far shorter than previous speeches about the Ukraine war, Putin accused the West of engaging in “nuclear blackmail” and noted “statements of some high-ranking representatives of the leading NATO states about the possibility of using nuclear weapons of mass destruction against Russia.”

He didn’t identify who had made such comments.

“To those who allow themselves such statements regarding Russia, I want to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction, and for separate components and more modern than those of NATO countries and when the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, to protect Russia and our people, we will certainly use all the means at our disposal,” Putin said.

He added: “It’s not a bluff.”

21 Sept 2022 - Ex-Putin adviser warns UK cities could be hit with nuclear weapons if Britain ‘continues to be aggressor’

Sergey Markov says ‘a lot of people in Western countries’ could be killed in nuclear war on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme

An ex-adviser to Vladimir Putin has claimed UK cities could be a nuclear target for the Russian president and blamed the Ukraine war on the West as he launched into a bizarre rant on British radio.

Sergey Markov made a host of unsubstantiated claims - including that Western countries are using Ukrainian soldiers “as slaves” - before shouting down the phone line during his interview.

He threatened the West with nuclear war before he was asked any questions on BBC’s Today programme on Wednesday morning.

“Good morning to you,” the presenter said, to which the ex-Putin advisor replied: “Good morning. Well it’s not good morning ... for everybody.”

He continued: “For Western countries, for you, British listeners, I would say that Vladimir Putin told us he would be ready to use nuclear weapons against Western countries, including nuclear weapons against Great Britain.

Mr Markov said “your cities will be target..” before being interrupted.

After claiming Russia wanted peace, Mr Markov was challenged by the BBC presenter who said: “You haven’t been talking much about peace, have you? You’ve just threatened us all with complete destruction, nuclear missiles coming to London, you said, and now you talk about peace.”

Mr Markov replied: “If Great Britain continues to be aggressor against Russia, if the prime minister of Great Britain, Liz Truss, still has a plan to destroy Russia, people in London should understand this threat comes from Liz Truss who is aggressor.”

'Absolutely clear' Putin's nuclear threat serious for western countries, says Sergei Markov

- VIDEO -

22 Sept 2022: Lavrov walks out of UN meeting as allies slam Russia over Ukraine war

The official noted that Lavrov “did not appear until two minutes before his own speech – he had one of his minions listen, to the extent they were listening – and then he left you know within a minute and a half of speaking.”

22 Sept 2022: Russia's Medvedev: strategic nuclear weapons can be used to defend new regions

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that any weapons in Moscow's arsenal, including strategic nuclear weapons, could be used to defend territories joined to Russia from Ukraine.

Medvedev, who also serves as deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said that referendums planned by Russian- installed and separatist authorities in large swathes of Ukrainian territory will take place, and "there is no going back".

"The Western establishment and all citizens of NATO countries in general need to understand that Russia has chosen its own path," Medvedev said.

27 Sept 2022: “Russia has a right to use nuclear weapons” – Medvedev

Russian deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said his country “has a right” to use nuclear weapons to defend itself as necessary.

Medvedev said this morning that Russia is ready to use these weapons in case the country or its allies are attacked with nuclear weapons.  

He stated that the security of the United States, the United Kingdom and Belgium is more important for NATO than Ukraine’s destiny. He added that he is convinced that NATO will not intervene if Russia has to attack Ukraine with nuclear arms.

[MRT: This looks like Russia knew that there were some nuclear weapons in Ukraine at this point and clearly stated their next steps. Note that data point that the UK (under Truss) broke the NPT and was considering some explosion of Ukrainian bridge or over the Black sea. The reason was to get international community involved in some kind of mission to protect civilians.]

 

***