Source: Times of India [India]
“Recent drone attacks by Ukraine on a Russian radar installation may have breached one of Russia’s declared red lines for deploying nuclear weapons, raising fears of an escalation in the ongoing conflict. The attacks targeted the 590th separate radio engineering center in Kovilkino, Mordovia, which houses the 29B6 ‘Container’ radar. This radar is a crucial component of Russia’s early-warning network against aerospace attacks, including ballistic missiles. The Kremlin’s 2020 decree, signed by President Vladimir Putin, explicitly outlines conditions under which Russia could use nuclear weapons. One of these conditions includes attacks that disrupt the ‘response actions of nuclear forces.’ Given the strategic importance of the “Container” radar in detecting missile threats, the attacks could be seen as meeting this criterion, a Newsweek report said. The first attack occurred on April 11, reportedly damaging the site’s command post, while the second followed on Wednesday morning.” (04/18/24)