Ukraine could accidentally strike Russian nuclear facilities – Foreign Affairs

Ukraine could accidentally strike Russia’s nuclear facilities, potentially turning the war into a nuclear conflict.

This information reported according to an article in Foreign Affairs.

At least 14 Russian nuclear storage sites are within range of Ukrainian missiles and drones.

While the author of the article notes that “there are no indications that Ukrainian forces would intentionally target nuclear warhead storage sites,” they caution that “warheads could be accidentally hit—or deliberately attacked or stolen.” There have already been strikes within 100 kilometers of these facilities.

“Even more dangerous is the possibility that a Ukrainian missile strike or territorial seizure could disrupt operations at a storage site, potentially allowing rogue actors to seize nuclear warheads or inadvertently trigger nuclear escalation by Russia,” the publication warns.

Russia should have moved its nuclear warheads from these storage sites at the onset of hostilities but has not done so. This may be because Putin views such a move as a sign of weakness. Alternatively, Russian military officials may fear that the West would interpret this as preparation for a nuclear strike, potentially provoking a preemptive response from NATO.