In connection with the invasion of Ukraine, Russia is already threatening to use nuclear weapons, causing global outrage. Defense Minister Shoigu is now declaring that the Russian infrastructure will be the focus from next year.
In the coming year, Russia wants to focus on its nuclear forces and the development of an infrastructure for them. Work should be done on improving the combat capability of the missile units, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on television. Facilities would be built to accommodate new missile systems.
With almost 6,000 warheads, Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. Russia has already placed the annexed areas of eastern and southern Ukraine under its nuclear shield and has threatened to defend its "territorial integrity" by any means available. That includes nuclear weapons. According to the United States, it has warned the Russian leadership of the consequences of using nuclear weapons.
Both states should have held talks in Cairo this week about the future of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which has been in place since 2010 and limits the number of strategic nuclear weapons. However, shortly before the meeting, Russia canceled participation, accusing the US of anti-Russian behavior and an attempt to manipulate the treaty to its advantage. The deliberations should be about resuming mutual checks on the nuclear arsenals that were interrupted in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. They are part of the New Start contract concluded in 2011.
In it, both states commit themselves to restrictions on ICBMs, submarine-launched missiles and combat aircraft that can be equipped with nuclear weapons. The contract expires in 2026.
