Russia will have to expand its target list for nuclear retaliatory strikes if European countries such as Poland and Sweden decide to deploy nuclear weapons on their territory.
The information was shared by Mr. Andrey Kartapolov - Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma (Russian Lower House) in an interview with TASS news agency.
If nuclear weapons facilities appear in countries like Sweden or Poland, they will create a direct and immediate threat to our country. Then, what do we have to do? The first thing is to update the target list for retaliatory attacks or retaliation with strategic nuclear forces. In other words, facilities appearing in Sweden, Poland or other European countries will automatically become targets," he said.
Mr. Kartapolov also emphasized that European politicians today are not fully aware of the risks that a country faces when deciding to deploy military facilities related to nuclear weapons on its territory.
The power of nuclear weapons is incomparable to conventional weapons. Destroying such a target will certainly lead to widespread destruction of the territory of that country, including the entire infrastructure and population," Andrey Kartapolov warned.
Previously, some European politicians discussed the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons domestically.
In an interview with Polsat channel, Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that he strongly supports Poland's participation in nuclear projects.
Meanwhile, Swedish Defense Minister Paul Johnson does not rule out the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons on Swedish territory during wartime.
