Russia will have to change its military doctrine
Finland and Sweden are almost due to become NATO members tomorrow. This week they are officially applying to join the North Atlantic Alliance. How Russia is forced to react to this, whether it will have to strengthen its borders and what kind of military contingent to keep on them now – we discussed these issues with the editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine Igor Korotchenko.
Photo: AP
– The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO will take place under an accelerated procedure. It is obvious that in the summer of this year they will become full-fledged members of the North Atlantic Alliance. For us, from the point of view of security and the balance of forces in the region, this means a simultaneous change in the situation in an unfavorable direction for Russia,” says Igor Korotchenko.
It is obvious that the formation of new forces covering the state border, the formation of new units in the structure of the Western Military District will have a rather prolonged character. All this is not created at once: not in a week, not in two, and not even in six months. And the situation will need to be quickly balanced.
The only and practically no alternative means of restoring parity in this case will be the transfer of tactical nuclear warheads to the troops of the Western Military District and the Baltic Fleet. Accordingly, to the Iskander missile systems based in the Western Military District. And also on the Kalibr missiles standing on the ships and submarines of the Baltic Fleet. All of them should already have nuclear warheads installed as a deterrent to the Alliance. And this is the only way.
Such actions will require a change in the nature of the Russian military doctrine, where the issues of the use of tactical nuclear weapons should be more clearly spelled out. Specifically: in what cases it can be applied, in what circumstances. That is, the military-political argumentation of such an application should be clarified.
This is a necessity, because, I repeat, the situation for us is changing dramatically in an extremely unfavorable direction. The huge length of the Russian-Finnish border actually becomes our border with NATO. In this case, the Baltic Fleet is actually locked in the Baltic, Kaliningrad is cut off and surrounded. In addition, the airfield network, the territory of the military bases of Sweden and Finland, we now, of course, should be considered as a springboard, which at any moment can receive the troops of the strengthening of the Alliance.
Plus, let’s not forget that Finland, and especially Sweden, are first—class military powers. Each of these countries has its own military industry. Especially in Sweden. Intelligence capabilities. in the field of electronic intelligence and cyber operations, they are also impressive. Therefore, we will be able to respond to changes in the situation exclusively with support for the time being.on tactical nuclear weapons, deploying them in the troops of the Western Military District and the Baltic Fleet.
I emphasize: this is not a threat or an attempt to intimidate someone. Just a violation of military parity, the creation of a clear imbalance in the number of troops, the ratio of weapons and military equipment, we can eliminate only relying on tactical nuclear weapons.