Fears of Russian nuclear attack grow in light of torpedo testing reports

SHANNON LONGWORTH: THIS VIDEO IS CIRCLING ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IT’S REPORTEDLY A MASSIVE RUSSIAN FREIGHT CONVOY CARRYING NUCLEAR EQUIPMENT TOWARDS THE UKRAINIAN FRONTLINE.

THE VIDEO AIRED SUNDAY ON A PRO-MOSCOW TELEGRAM CHANNEL CALLED RYBAR.

IT’S ADDING TO  FEARS THAT RUSSIA WILL USE ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING THREAT–IS THE COUNTRY’S NUCLEAR TORPEDO DRONE, THE POSEIDON, WHICH HAS BEEN CALLED THE “WEAPON OF THE APOCALYPSE”.

THE MASSIVE TORPEDO IS CURRENTLY ATTACHED TO THE BELGOROD, A RUSSIAN SUBMARINE — THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD — AND IT’S BELIEVED TO BE HEADING TOWARDS THE ARCTIC. ACCORDING TO LA REPUBBLICA NEWSPAPER, THAT’S WHERE IT’LL BE TESTED.

NATO WARNED MEMBERS AND ALLIES THAT PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN INTENDS TO LAUNCH THE POSEIDON OVER THE WEEKEND. ON MONDAY, THE PENTAGON RESPONDED TO THE REPORTS.

JAKE SULLIVAN: “WE ARE, OF COURSE, MONITORING THAT CAREFULLY AND STAYING IN CLOSE CONSULTATION WITH ALLIES AND PARTNERS. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ATTUNED TO, TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY AND COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH RUSSIA ABOUT, INCLUDING THE KIND OF DECISIVE RESPONSES THE UNITED STATES WOULD HAVE IF THEY WENT DOWN THAT DARK ROAD.”

LONGWORTH: PUTIN’S NUCLEAR THREATS HAVE GROWN RECENTLY. HE HAS WARNED NATO AND ITS ALLIES NOT TO FURTHER INVADE WHAT HE CLAIMED IS RUSSIAN TERRITORY AFTER THE ILLEGAL ANNEXATION OF FOUR UKRAINIAN REGIONS. HE SAID, “WE WILL CERTAINLY MAKE USE OF ALL WEAPON SYSTEMS AVAILABLE TO US. THIS IS NOT A BLUFF.”

THE NUCLEAR CONVOY COULD SIGNAL PUTIN’S DESIRE TO ESCALATE THE WAR. AND UKRAINE IS ABOUT TO GET MORE BACKING FROM THE U.S.

MONDAY, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TOLD REUTERS THAT ITS NEXT $625 MILLION ASSISTANCE PACKAGE FOR UKRAINE WILL INCLUDE FOUR HIGH MOBILITY ARTILLERY ROCKET SYSTEM LAUNCHERS, MUNITIONS, MINES, AND MINE-RESISTANT VEHICLES. THAT PACKAGE IS EXPECTED TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON.

IN THE MEANTIME, UKRAINE’S PATH TO NATO MEMBERSHIP CONTINUES TO BE ROCKY. SUNDAY, NINE EUROPEAN NATO MEMBERS ISSUED A JOINT STATEMENT BACKING MEMBERSHIP FOR UKRAINE. BUT MEMBERSHIP NEEDS APPROVAL FROM ALL 30 NATO MEMBERS, AND UKRAINE IS UNLIKELY TO JOIN ANYTIME SOON SINCE BEING AT WAR COMPLICATES THE REQUEST.