Concern was evident at the international level over the use of nuclear weapons amid the intensification of the Ukrainian crisis, amid questions about the timing and circumstances of using this paper in light of the harsh escalation.
For his part, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that Putin’s move to put Russian forces on high alert is “dangerous and irresponsible.”
The United States also accused the Russian president of “fabricating threats” after his decision on “deterrence force” in the midst of the worsening Ukrainian crisis.
And Putin had appeared in a video clip, on Sunday, to order the army commanders to put the “deterrence force” in the Russian army, in a special case for combat.
Putin said during a meeting with his military commanders: “I have ordered the Ministry of Defense and the Chief of Staff to put the deterrent forces in the Russian army on special alert for combat.” “Understood,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu replied.
Putin justified his decision by condemning the “aggressive statements of NATO” towards Russia, and criticized the “illegal” economic sanctions, in his view, imposed by the West on Russia.
Deterrence Forces Tasks
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the “deterrence forces” are a group of units whose purpose is to deter any attack on Russia, including in the event of a war involving the use of nuclear weapons.
The strategic deterrent forces are divided into offensive and defensive forces. The nuclear deterrent forces form the basis of the offensive forces, which rely on intercontinental missile and air systems, and high-precision long-range weapons.
The offensive forces also include the non-nuclear strategic forces, which mainly rely on strategic and long-range bombers, ships, submarines and aircraft carrying high-precision and long-range missiles.
According to the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the strategic defense forces depend on the forces and means of the defense forces, which include the missile attack warning system, the space field monitoring system, anti-missile defenses, space means and aircraft.
Pre-war maneuvers
Days before the start of the attacks on Ukraine, Putin gave an order to start the “strategic deterrence” maneuvers with ballistic and cruise missiles.
At that time, the ground and air forces of the southern region, in addition to the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern Sea Fleet and the Black Sea, participated in these exercises.
At the time of the exercises, the Kremlin said that the maneuvers saw warships and submarines launch hypersonic cruise missiles and “Zirkon” missiles at sea and land targets.
The exercises also witnessed the successful launch of “Kinghal” ballistic missiles, which are also hypersonic.
Pressure..and improving the negotiating position
The researcher in international relations, Joe Macaron, who resides in Washington, explains in an interview with “Sky News Arabia” that the Russian deterrent forces are represented in the land, sea and air units that include nuclear weapons, that is, which include fixed and mobile land platforms, fifth-generation air fighters, ships and nuclear submarines. The strategy.
Regarding the Russian president’s goals for this decision, Macaron pointed out that Putin is trying, through this step and the propaganda surrounding it, to remind the Europeans and Americans that Russia is a nuclear state, and thus pressure them not to interfere in Ukraine, and to improve the current negotiating terms.
But everyone knows how dangerous and costly nuclear power is in human and political terms, and how Russia will also be its victim if it is used in Ukraine, according to the researcher in international relations.
A US academic and political analyst, Eric Loeb, agrees with the same opinion, and explains that the Russian deterrent forces include nuclear weapons, and are equipped with a number of missiles as well as strategic launchers in addition to submarines and ships.
He stressed, in statements to “Sky News Arabia”, that Putin, with this remarkable level that he is presenting now, sends a message to the international community that he is about to end, or rather resolve, the military operation as quickly as possible, and at the same time exert maximum pressure on Kiev after it agreed to sit down to negotiate.
He said that the Russian deterrent forces include anti-aircraft defenses, anti-satellite defenses, anti-missile shields and air control systems.
cold war
For his part, Samir Ragheb, a military expert who specializes in the field of nuclear weapons, believes in exclusive statements to “Sky News Arabia” that the Russian President’s decision to prepare the “nuclear deterrent” forces comes in the context of the Cold War he is producing against the United States and NATO countries.
“Ragheb” stressed that there is a Russian message to the world regarding the use of nuclear deterrent forces, that if the international community seeks to escalate sanctions against Moscow, it is simultaneously ready to use its destructive weapon, pointing out that such decisions are “primarily political” because President Putin realizes He will not use this weapon in Ukraine in light of the deployment of his forces there.
He pointed out that Russia, in the context of the Cold War, had during the past years upgraded the efficiency of nuclear missiles, and during this month a deterrence force maneuver was carried out, in which it displayed weapons and carried out a training attack, without referring to raising the degree of preparedness at the time.