Putin’s chilling nuclear option

It remains to be confirmed that the tranche of two million highly sensitive Russian documents found on a public database by German and Danish investigative journalists are what they appear to be – a chilling and remarkably detailed account of the way Vladimir Putin is expanding and modernising his vast nuclear weapons arsenal, ready for action. The discovery of the documents could also, however, be part of yet another crass Kremlin disinformation operation aimed at intimidating the West to cave in over Ukraine. It is imperative no time is lost in establishing their authenticity and accuracy.

Western security – particularly that of European nations – is at serious risk, given the grim picture that emerges of Russia poised to press the nuclear button. The disclosures contained in the documents could hardly be more alarming at a time of deepening division, caused by Donald Trump, over Western support for Kyiv in its fight. In the more than three years since Putin launched his onslaught, he has frequently hinted at using his stockpile of 5580 nuclear weapons – the world’s largest.

The documents uncovered by Danish investigative group Danwatch and reporters from Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine reveal just how far Putin has gone to modernise and expand Russia’s bases housing its nuclear weapons by building new infrastructure that enhances their launch capacity and makes them secure against attack. There is precise detail on the secret inner operations of major nuclear bases in the Urals with at least 900 operational nuclear warheads poised for action at 11 sites, with nuclear weapons in buried silos “ready at any given moment to strike European countries in just under 10 minutes – leaving major cities totally destroyed”.

With uncertainty over Ukraine following Mr Trump’s return to the White House, and Putin’s frustration growing as he fails to achieve the victory he believed would be his in a matter of days after his invasion, the documents leave little doubt the Russian despot still has very much in mind the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons to achieve his objective. More than that, the documents indicate he is unlikely to stop in Ukraine if he does achieve victory there.

Countries everywhere – not just in Europe – should be alarmed by what the documents indicate is Putin’s ominous expansion and modernisation of his nuclear arsenal. The need for all democratic nations – including the US under Mr Trump – to coalesce and ensure Putin does not get his way in Ukraine is ever more urgent.