Western Weapons against Russian Targets: On the Risk of Escalation in the Ukraine War

The Ukraine city of Pokrovsk has been the center of strong attacks by the Russian army in recent weeks. (c) dpa Picture Alliance |CTK Photo/Darvik Maca Vojtech

How might Russia react if Ukraine were to use Western long-range missiles against targets on Russian soil? In an interview with Reuters, Dr Ulrich Kühn says it is possible that Putin could respond with a clear message, for example by testing nuclear weapons. The arms control expert pointed out that Russia has not tested a nuclear weapon since 1990. Such a nuclear test in response to Ukraine's deployment of Western long-range missiles would be a "dramatic escalation of the war," the arms control expert said. He also believes that Russia could launch hybrid attacks against targets in Europe or interfere in the US elections.

You can read the Reuters interview from 15.09.2024 here.