NATO allies have been warned by US intelligence that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be escalating his war in Ukraine by launching Russian nuclear weapons into space.
Russian Ambitions in Space
US intelligence sources have warned the UK that Russia could be looking at sending nuclear weapons into space as concerns of World War 3 heighten.
The Outer Space Treaty, crucial for maintaining space stability, would face severe challenges if Russia were to proceed with deploying nuclear weapons.
The UK is closely monitoring Russia’s aggressions in Ukraine and has bolstered its nuclear arsenal in response to the growing fears of nuclear involvement.
UK Troops Training in Europe
While the use of nuclear weapons from Russia remains highly unlikely, the UK has deployed troops in Europe for training purposes in the event of an escalation and added 260 nuclear warheads to its arsenal.
In the largest deployment of UK troops since the Cold War, some 8000 British soldiers are now taking part in NATO military exercises to deter a Russian escalation.
Presidential Urgency
President Joe Biden called to declassify the intelligence that Russians were contemplating sending nukes to space, which has been shared with every member of the US Congress.
The potential weapons system could target Western satellites in space, which would severely disrupt military operations and the public’s day-to-day lives.
“If Russia has, in fact, deployed, nuclear weapons in orbit, that would be a deliberate and direct violation of the 1967 outer space treaty by Moscow,” said Dr Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
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Presidential Monitoring
President Biden has reportedly been monitoring this “serious” threat for several weeks, per sources within the White House, describing it as a grave but not immediate concern.
Head of the House Intelligence Committee, Republican Mike Turner, publicly disclosed the existence of the intelligence, urging President Biden to make it public.
According to sources, the UK is “likely already wargaming” with Russia about the potential use of nuclear weapons, acknowledging Russian President Vladimir Putin’s numerous warnings against the West of their possible use.
Russia “Not Bluffing” on Nukes
Putin said that Russia was “not bluffing” about the potential use of nuclear weapons on the West and assured that Russia has “various weapons of destruction” at its disposal.
Sources revealed that the intelligence centred around Moscow’s intentions to place a nuclear weapon in space, not for ground targets but still considered highly sensitive and concerning.
“The UK is alerted,” according to King’s College London Historian Dr Simon Anglin, “I strongly suspect the UK is already thinking about potential responses; it’s been thinking about this since the war began.”
Calling Putin’s Bluff
Dr Anglin noted that although the threat should be taken seriously, it’s still possible that “Putin is just a bumbling gangster, a blustering conman.”
Dr Anglin also insisted that there’s a possibility that Putin is serious, “the other view is that he’s very serious indeed about what he says,” which would be “a cause for concern for the government in confronting him, but I would say we already have contingency plans in place.”
Developmental Status
US officials clarified that Russia’s nuclear capability in space had not been launched and remains in the developmental phase.
Analyst Dr Malcolm Davis said, “The outer space treaty is a cornerstone of space stability, and this would be a grave setback for international arms control.”
Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, is scheduled to brief the “Gang of Eight,” the top leaders in Congress, on the intelligence in response to the serious situation.
Now the US has announced the intelligence, the UK and its allies will likely be planning a response to a potential launch of Russian nukes into space.
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The post UK’s ‘Grave’ Warning: Russia Could Launch Nuclear Weapons Into Space first appeared on Edge Media.
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