[NTDTV, Beijing, October 04, 2022]As Ukrainian forces continued to advance in the east, on Monday (October 3), its southern front made its biggest breakthrough since the start of the war, breaking through the Russian line of defense. Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to be a little irritated, and once again issued a strong nuclear warning to the West.
A video posted on Telegram by the pro-Russian channel “Rybar” on the 2nd shows a convoy of BPM-97 armored personnel carriers (APC) and other military vehicles moving through central Russia. Raised fears of Putin escalating the war.
Huge convoy of freight trains with specialized military equipment linked to the nuclear arms division of the Russian Ministry of Defense spotted moving pic.twitter.com/Gjz4bZWFyn
— Little Brother Little Brother (@xiaoagexiaoage1) October 4, 2022
These armored personnel carriers are huge freight trains that transport specialized military equipment related to the nuclear arms department of the Russian Ministry of Defense. According to reports, such advanced military hardware has hardly ever been deployed on the Ukrainian front, and it belongs to the 12th General Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense. This specialized unit is dedicated to storing, maintaining and supplying weapons to the Strategic Rocket Force (RVSN), among others.
The Strategic Rocket Force, also known as the Strategic Missile Force, is a branch of Russia’s armed forces, the cornerstone of the country’s nuclear defense and deterrence program, and a key part of Putin’s nuclear program.
The Russian RVSN, currently the largest and most advanced in the world, consists of dozens of missile regiments that collectively control thousands of nuclear-capable weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and maintain and protect its launch centers.
Military analyst Konrad Musyka said the deployment of these troops could herald an imminent escalation of the war by Putin or a precursor to large-scale nuclear exercises.
The movement of heavy military hardware belonging to the nuclear force does not necessarily mean Russia is ready to deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Musica said, but Musica made clear that it could be a “sign to the West that Moscow is escalating” the conflict. He added that Russia’s strategic rocket force was known to have conducted extensive training exercises last fall.
At the same time, according to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica (la Repubblica) reported on the 2nd, a NATO warning note obtained by the media showed that Russia may have deployed its latest huge nuclear submarine, the “Belgorod” ( Belgorod).
NATO has warned its members that Russia’s top nuclear submarine Belgorod has disappeared from its base in the Arctic White Sea and may have left its base in the Arctic Circle to test its “doomsday” in the Kara Sea. Weapon” – “Poseidon” nuclear torpedo (Poseidon).
#Russia launched its super-submarine Belgorod today. Putin present. No photos(!!). Here’s my analysis-based illustration of what I think they are not showing you. Will update as more info creeps out. More info https://t.co/Niienq0adX #Navy pic.twitter.com/hgFkOz4Lti
— H I Sutton (@CovertShores) April 23, 2019
“Poseidon” can be used as a conventional torpedo, and the main task of the nuclear warhead version is to transport the nuclear bomb to the coast of potential enemies and damage important military and civilian infrastructure. It can carry a nuclear warhead of more than 1 million tons, and when it explodes, it can generate 2 megatons of energy, which is equivalent to 130 times that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
According to previously announced plans, the “Belgorod” equipped with the “Poseidon” system may be combat-ready after 2026.
Belgorod is also suspected of being a candidate for sabotage because it can also carry small submarines designed to attack undersea infrastructure.
However, many are skeptical of the Belgorod’s mission, because at 600 feet long, the submarine is one of the largest in the world, and it would be very difficult to enter the Baltic Sea undetected.
Rebekah Koffler, a former U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) intelligence officer, warned that nuclear weapons will only be used as a last resort for Russia “in the event of a direct kinetic war between Russia and the United States, and Russia is losing.”
As of Wednesday, the location of the Belgorod remained undisclosed, which is not particularly surprising, Rebekah Koffler told Fox News Digital. She noted that Russian submarines have some of the best stealth capabilities in the world and have even entered U.S. waters undetected in the past.
“There have been a few times when Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines armed with long-range cruise missiles have operated covertly for weeks close to the U.S. coast,” Koffler said.
(Comprehensive report by reporter Li Zhaoxi/responsible editor: Lin Qing)
URL of this article: https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2022/10/04/a103543398.html