The expansion of Russia’s nuclear weapons arsenal has been confirmed by the United States. A nuclear-armed air-to-air missile will be deployed as part of this expansion. Russia is preparing Belarusian personnel stationed in Belarus to handle nuclear weapons, according to the US Defense Intelligence Agency’s (DIA) assessment.
These events follow a revision of Russia’s nuclear doctrine that lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, and they coincide with the country’s ongoing war with Ukraine. This action raises concerns about international security and indicates a significant increase in nuclear capabilities.
Deployment of Nuclear Air-to-Air Missiles
Russia has launched a nuclear-armed air-to-air missile for the first time since the end of the Cold War. Although the missile was not identified in the US intelligence report, reports indicate it is most likely an R-37M missile variant, or AA-13 Axehead as NATO refers to it.
This missile is intended to engage enemy aircraft from a distance and has an extremely long range. Although nuclear powers frequently use nuclear air-to-ground missiles, nuclear air-to-air missiles have not been in use for many years.
Why Air-to-Air Nuclear Missiles?
These missiles were designed to target enemy bomber formations during the Cold War. These bomber formations are mostly obsolete today. It’s unclear why Russia made this new deployment. But because these missiles are area-effect weapons, everything in their blast radius is harmed. This could be helpful against drone swarms or stealth aircraft, which are hard to target accurately.
Similar goals could be achieved with conventional area-effect weapons, but equipping these missiles with nuclear warheads is probably going to be viewed as extremely escalatory.
Training Nuclear Personnel in Belarus
In 2023, Russia started putting nuclear weapons in Belarus. Russia is actively preparing Belarusian forces to handle these weapons, according to the DIA report. This action enhances Moscow’s strategic position in Eastern Europe and expands its nuclear footprint beyond its boundaries. It also calls into question regional stability and nuclear proliferation.
Global Implications and Escalation Risks
The conflict in Ukraine and Russia’s nuclear expansion and lowered threshold for use combine to create a dangerous combination. Russia’s intention to preserve and improve its nuclear arsenal is made clear by the placement of new nuclear weapons and training in Belarus.
These developments need to be closely monitored by the international community because they have the potential to undermine current nuclear agreements and raise the possibility of nuclear conflict.
