US, Russia Nuclear War Possible? Russian Media Threatens ‘Preemptive Strike’

An outbreak of hysterical war-cry dominates the Russian media after the decision of the Union States to withdraw from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty.

Fire and fury flowed in the comments warning nuclear war between Russia and the US and also about a “pre-emptive strike” to paralyze the enemy, the U.S.

A BBC review of Russian newspapers observed that the state-controlled media is building up apocalyptic ideas without realizing the gravity of the issue.

The Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty signed in 1987 had been considered an effective barrier to check the escalation of Cold War-like arms race, especially land-based missiles.

The Russian media’s “pre-emptive strike” theory involves a doomsday scenario of a Russian device visiting the U.S coast.

The U.S. announced withdrawal from INF and said it would make missiles hereafter. Russia also responded saying it will do the same. But many doubt that Russia has already built some deadly arsenal.

Russia boasts of ‘insane weapon’

Russia had claimed that it possesses an “insane nuclear weapon” in the form of an undersea torpedo that can carry a 100-megaton nuclear warhead and can resist all missile defenses. The weapon can trigger Tsunami-like waves and the resulting radioactive holocaust will erase life from several thousands of square miles on the earth.

One newspaper quotes an arms control expert who says if Americans deploy new missiles near Russia's borders, Russia will respond in the same manner and the risk of nuclear conflict will rise.

“If the US missiles are deployed in Poland or the Baltic states, they'll be able to reach Russia in minutes,” he noted.

In such a scenario, a retaliatory strike becomes meaningless and the right course will be the doctrine of a “pre-emptive strike.”

The same expert warns the INF's demise has demolished the inhibitions for the U.S. and Russia and nuking the other first if a conflict breaks out will be the right option.

A nuclear strike will be more effective as the efficacy of longer-range missiles fired from the continental U.S. and Russia's mainland may not be reliable or predictable.

The danger of mutually assured destruction

The military expert warns that since Russia has the weapon and the INF treaty is going down, the “doomsday device” will be put to use.

“It cannot be excluded that one of the Poseidon with a 100 megaton nuclear warhead will lay low off the US coast, becoming 'the doomsday weapon,” he observed.

The paper warns that any attack on Russia will be a suicidal misadventure.

The rationale of U.S withdrawal

The US announced withdrawal from Feb. 1 citing the reason that Russia was violating the treaty and developed many banned missiles.

President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal saying threats are growing from Russia and China beyond the INF treaty.

The US accused Russia of several treaty violations and alleged that it owns a new missile in the 500-5,500km (310-3,400 miles) range that is banned under the treaty. But Russia says Washington is using false excuses to walk out of the agreement.

In the aftermath of U.S withdrawal from INF, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said President Putin has instructed the defense ministry to go ahead with a “tit-for-tat” approach.