Putin Warns Ukraine and its allies by dispatching nuclear-capable bombers into the sky

As Norway issued a warning that Russia has put tactical nuclear weapon-armed boats in the Baltic Sea for the first time in thirty years, Vladimir Putin today flew nuclear-capable bombers into the sky as a show of force to the West.

During their lengthy flight over the Bering Sea, the obnoxious Tu-95MS “Bears” were joined by Su-30 fighter planes from Russia’s Eastern Military District. Alaska, a US state, and the far east of Russia are divided by the Bering Sea.

Russian government representatives and propagandists have regularly threatened the West with nuclear weapons since Putin began his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In recent months, as Ukraine’s friends have committed to provide Kyiv with progressively more potent armaments, Russia’s rhetoric towards those allies has been more aggressive.

The bombers took off as the Norwegian Intelligence Service reported in its yearly report that nuclear-armed ships from the Russian Northern Fleet had begun to sail. Although it was customary during the Cold War, the report stated that the Russian Federation of today had never done this before.

The Norwegian intelligence report stated that “the essential part of the nuclear potential resides aboard the submarines and surface ships of the Northern Fleet.”

The report added that Russia also had submarine capabilities, anti-satellite weapons, and cyber capabilities that would pose a threat in any direct conflict with Norway and its NATO allies. Tactical nuclear weapons were described as “a particularly serious threat in several operational scenarios in which NATO countries may be involved.”

At the NATO defence ministers’ meeting on Tuesday in Brussels, Ukraine reiterated its demand for fighter jets from Western nations.

Concern over Kyiv’s requirement for a significant quantity of ammunition was raised by the United States and its NATO allies and partners.

However, as the war in Ukraine reached its one-year anniversary, U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley told reporters that despite the impending logistical difficulties, Russia had lost the war in Ukraine militarily, strategically, and operationally.

The bravery and tenacity of the Ukrainian people continue to inspire the globe, and Russia is now viewed as a pariah. In sum, Russia has lost; they have lost tactically, strategically, and both.

The only propeller-powered strategic bombers in the world, the Tu-95s, were visible in footage today released by the Russian Defense Ministry.

According to a statement from Moscow, “two Tu-95MS strategic bombers made a routine mission in the airspace above the neutral waters of the Bering Sea.”

On December 5, a Ukrainian drone strike hundreds of miles inside the Russian border struck a facility in Engels, Saratov region, with the same kind of planes, which are vintage Soviet.

According to accounts, two troops were injured. Following the incident, 12 aircraft were relocated to safer places.

At least six strategic bombers were transported from the facility in Engels to an undisclosed location, according to The Moscow Times.

Although the Tu-95s from the Soviet era have been in flight for around 70 years, they nevertheless play a significant role in Putin’s attack threat.

The Arctic, the North Atlantic, the Black and Baltic Seas, and the Pacific Ocean are said to be neutral waters that the Russians’ long-range aircraft often fly over.

Russian state news agency TASS reported that “all flights are undertaken by Russia’s Aerospace Forces in strict compliance with the international regulations of accessing the airspace.”

Ukraine made clear what fighter jets it needed before to the Ukraine contact group meeting at NATO headquarters.

When asked what kind of military assistance his country is currently seeking, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov showed reporters a picture of a fighter plane.

When asked where he anticipated they would come from, Reznikov just responded, “From the sky.”

However, the concern of NATO partners is how to maintain a consistent flow of weaponry to Ukraine without diminishing their own supplies.

Some estimates have Ukraine’s daily artillery shell output at up to 6,000–7,000, or around one-third of what Russia uses each day.

While reinforcing their defensive lines in the south, Moscow’s forces have been pushing into Ukraine’s east.

While the fight has been relatively stagnant during the winter, both sides anticipate launching offensives as the weather becomes better.

According to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, discussing fighter jets is “far less relevant at the time” than finding ammunition and air defenses.

According to Pistorius, training new pilots to fly them and getting them up to speed on the technology “takes several months, never mind teaching the talents needed to use the weapons systems.”

He stated that in light of what appears to be a Russian attack, Ukraine’s allies “should concentrate on what is now at center stage.”

Western nations must expand their ammunition deliveries to Kiev, according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who made this statement prior to the summit.

We don’t observe any indications that President Putin is putting the world on the path to peace. The opposite is what we see; he is gearing up for new offensives and assaults,’ he said.

In response to the question of Finland and Sweden joining NATO, Stoltenberg stated on Tuesday that it was more crucial for their applications to be approved separately than together.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of last year, the two nations applied to join NATO; all allies, with the exception of Hungary and Turkey, have approved their membership applications.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said his country could ratify Finland’s application but rejecting Sweden’s due to their strained diplomatic relations. Turkey is usually regarded as the primary obstacle.

In part because it would be simpler to incorporate both nations into NATO’s military formations at once, Western officials have stated that they would prefer for both nations to join NATO together.

Stoltenberg, however, said that was only a secondary factor.

It is not crucial whether Finland and Sweden are approved concurrently. According to him, the most important thing is that they both become full members as soon as feasible.

I’m working hard to get both ratified as soon as possible and I’m convinced that both will be full members.

Ulf Kristersson, the prime minister of Sweden, stated during a press conference in Stockholm that there were “obvious” benefits to joining forces, such as the two countries’ already tight defense cooperation.

It is what both nations desire, he declared.

All of this does not, however, alter the reality that Turkey makes Turkish decisions. Since that has always been the case, Finland is not the one who should answer this; rather, Turkey should.

In recent months, Sweden and Finland have gotten substantially closer to NATO, according to Stoltenberg. He added that the two nations’ offers to join NATO had been accepted by all of the alliance’s members.

Erdogan, though, stated earlier this month that while Turkey supports Finland’s NATO membership quest, it opposes Sweden’s.

Both nations have been urged by Ankara to adopt a harder stance against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is blamed for a failed coup attempt in 2016 and is regarded as a terrorist organization by Turkey and the European Union.

Finnish parliamentary groupings suggested on Friday that they would ratify NATO’s founding documents in the upcoming weeks, which would allow Helsinki to move forward with membership before Stockholm.