Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22.58 Since the beginning of the day on March 7, 113 combat clashes have taken place. The defense forces continue to stop the enemy, destroy personnel and exhaust the combat potential of the occupiers, inflicting systematic fire damage. The enemy carried out one missile strike using 29 missiles and 58 air strikes - dropped 170 guided bombs. In addition, it used 6,562 kamikaze drones and carried out 2,471 shelling of settlements and positions of our troops. This is stated in the evening summary of the General Staff.
22.17 As a result of nighttime enemy shelling on Saturday, March 7, a pupil and player of the White Bars team 2017–2018, Gordiy Udovichenko, born in 2017–2018, died. His mother, Olena Mykhailivna Udovichenko, a primary school teacher, died with him. This was reported by the Hockey Federation of Ukraine.
21:29 Russians attacked an ambulance with an FPV drone in the Kutsurubsky community of Mykolaiv region. The driver and a doctor were injured and hospitalized.
20.33 Russian war criminals fired on rescuers who were liquidating the consequences of a night attack in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The Russians struck at rescuers while liquidating the consequences of a night attack in the Samariv district. One fire truck was destroyed, two more were significantly damaged. Fortunately, the firefighters were not injured. They were in a safe place during the attack.
20.10 In the Volchanska community of the Kharkiv region, there are dead and wounded civilians as a result of Russian strikes on Saturday, March 7. Two civilian men, 81 and 61 years old, were killed. Two more people were injured
18.40 One person was killed and five more civilians were injured in the Kherson region due to enemy shelling. This was reported on Saturday, March 7, by the press service of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office.
17.44 GUR units in cooperation with the Defense Forces of Ukraine stopped the enemy's attack on Zaporizhia in their zone of responsibility. This was reported on Saturday, March 7, by the GUR press service. For three months, soldiers of the Timur Special Unit of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine have been implementing a complex defensive operation in the Zaporizhia direction. During active operations, GUR special forces eliminated more than 300 occupiers, killed and wounded, and took another 39 Russian servicemen prisoner. With precise strikes from drones and artillery, military intelligence is systematically limiting the logistical capabilities of Muscovites - due to a lack of support, the occupiers are increasingly abandoning assault operations in the direction.
16.55 The enemy has launched 42 attacks since the beginning of the day on Saturday, March 7. The most intense is in the Pokrovske direction: since the beginning of the day, the invaders have tried to push our soldiers from the occupied positions 13 times, according to the latest report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
15.42 On the night of Saturday, March 7, Vinnytsia region suffered another massive combined enemy strike. 27 UAVs and 5 cruise missiles were recorded in the airspace of the region. There were no casualties, the head of Vinnytsia OVA reported.
15.17 The number of people killed in Kharkiv as a result of the Russian strike on the night of March 7 has increased to 11 people, including 2 children. This data was reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office as of 14.10.
14.41 Ukrainian drone operators captured more than a hundred Russian servicemen last winter using unmanned aerial vehicles, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Telegram.
13.34 On the night of March 7, Russian occupiers hit a residential building in Kharkiv with the latest secret missile Izdeliye-30. The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reported this on Telegram.
12.57 ATACMS and SCALP missiles hit a place for storing, preparing and launching shaheeds near Donetsk airport. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this and also published a video of the consequences of the strike on Facebook.
12.27 Over the past 24 hours, 148 combat clashes were recorded on the front. This is evidenced by the morning report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, published on Facebook.
11.59 Airstrikes on Kramatorsk in Donetsk region have injured at least six people. Among the injured are three children born in 2010, 2014, and 2024. This is reported by the Donetsk OVA.
10.25 Russia targeted energy in Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi regions, as well as the railway in Zhytomyr region on the night of March 7. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote about this on Telegram.
9.35 Russia launched a combined strike on critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine on the night of March 7. A total of 509 air attack vehicles were recorded, of which 472 were recognized as shot down and suppressed. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
8.59 Search and rescue operations in Kharkiv at the site of the Russian strike continue. Rescuers have unblocked the bodies of seven dead people from under the rubble of a 5-story building. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported this on Telegram.
7.54 The Ukrainian Defense Forces killed and wounded 1,010 Russian occupiers over the past 24 hours. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.
7.38 Russian forces fired ballistic missiles at a high-rise building in Kharkiv. The hostile attack resulted in four deaths and at least ten injuries, Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov reported.
06.30 During the massive Russian attack, the railway infrastructure was damaged, which is why Ukrzliznytsia is changing train routes. The changes will apply to trains that run in the Rivne, Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr regions.
03.56 A missile strike has almost completely destroyed a five-story building in Kharkiv. Five people are trapped under the rubble, but they cannot be reached due to a large-scale fire.
02.20 Russians attack Ukraine with drones and ballistics. Explosions have been heard in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa. In Kharkiv, a direct ballistics hit is reported in a high-rise building.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] The hottest point is in the Pokrovsky direction: since the beginning of the day, the occupiers have tried to push our soldiers out of their occupied positions 13 times.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published operational information regarding the Russian invasion as of 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 7.
It is reported that since the beginning of the day, the number of attacks by the aggressor has already reached 42.
The shelling of border areas continues. Today, the following settlements in Sumy Oblast were affected: Bezsalivka, Volfyne, Vilcha, Sukhodil, Kucherivka, Kysla Dubyna, Boyaro-Lezhachi, Khodyne, Rogizne, Budky, Progress, Iskryskivshchyna, Novovasylivka, Bereza.
In the North Slobozhansk and Kursk directions, the enemy carried out 68 attacks on settlements and positions of our troops, two of which were using MLRS, and carried out 3 airstrikes using eight CABs.
In the South Slobozan direction, the enemy attacked three times towards the settlements of Grafske, Vilcha, and Zybyne. One assault operation is ongoing.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy advanced twice in the direction of Kivsharivka and Novoosynovoye.
In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled one attempt by the invaders to advance towards Seredny.
In the Slavyansk direction, the invaders tried three times to advance on the positions of our troops in the direction of Rai-Oleksandrivka, Platonovka, and Kalenykivka. One attack is ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the aggressor attacked towards Minkivka.
In the Kostyantynivka direction, the invaders carried out nine offensive actions near Kostyantynivka, Pleshchiivka, Shcherbynivka, Illinivka, Sofiivka, and Novopavlivka. One battle is ongoing.
In the Pokrovsky direction, since the beginning of the day, the invaders have tried 13 times to push our soldiers out of the occupied positions in the areas of the settlements of Novy Donbas, Rodynske, Novooleksandrivka, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novomykolaivka, and Novopidhorodne. Two clashes have not yet ended.
In the Oleksandrivka direction, the enemy advanced three times towards Verbovye and Novohrygorivka. In addition, Pysanky, Pokrovske, and Chornenkove were subjected to air strikes.
In the Hulyaipil direction, seven attacks took place in the areas of Dobropillya, Zaliznychny, Varvarivka, and Myrne. The enemy carried out airstrikes in the areas of Svitla Dolyna, Zelena Dibrova, Kopaniv, Charivne, and Rivne. Two clashes are ongoing.
No active enemy offensive actions were recorded in the Orikhiv direction, but the Veselyanka and Malokaterynivka areas were subjected to air strikes.
There are no enemy attempts to improve their position in the Dnieper direction.
There are currently no significant changes in the situation in other areas. There are no enemy attempts to advance.
Ukrainian troops are exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and in the rear.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] In the Orikhiv direction, four clashes with the enemy took place in the Stepnohirsk and Plavni areas.
The Russian occupiers attacked twice in the Kramatorsk direction in the areas of Orikhovo-Vasylivka and Predtechyny.
Over the past 24 hours, 148 combat clashes were recorded on the front. This is evidenced by the morning report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, published on Facebook.
In the North-Slobozhansk and Kursk directions, two clashes were recorded over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out one air strike, dropped three aerial bombs, and carried out 117 attacks, seven of which involved the use of multiple launch rocket systems.
In the South-Slobozhansk direction, the enemy tried five times to break through the defensive lines of our defenders towards the settlements of Zybyne, Vilcha, and Shevyakivka.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy attacked five times in the direction of Pishchanye, Petropavlivka, Kurylivka, and Novoplatonivka.
In the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked eight times. He tried to penetrate our defenses in the areas of the settlements of Tverdokhlibovo, Derylovo, Kolodyaz and towards the settlements of Stepovo, Stavky, Drobyshevo, and Lyman.
In the Slavyansk direction, during the past 24 hours, our defenders stopped nine attempts by the occupiers to advance in the direction of Rai-Oleksandrivka, Riznykivka, and in the Zakitne area.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the invaders attacked twice in the areas of Orikhovo-Vasylivka and Predtechyny.
In the Kostyantynivka direction, the enemy carried out 23 attacks in the areas of the settlements of Kostyantynivka, Pleshchiivka, Yablunivka, Ivanopillya, Illinivka, Berestok, Rusyn Yar, Sofiivka and in the direction of Novopavlivka.
In the Pokrovsky direction, our defenders stopped 24 assault actions of the aggressor in the areas of the settlements of Shakhove, Zatyshok, Chervonyi Lyman, Rodynske, Hryshyne, Kotlyne, Udachne, Muravka, Molodetske, Novopidhorodne and towards the settlements of Novooleksandrivka, Bilytske.
In the Oleksandrivka direction, the enemy attacked three times, in the areas of Verbovye and Ternovoye.
In the Hulyaipil direction, there were 19 attacks by the occupiers in the areas of Myrne, Hulyaipil and towards Zaliznychny, Krynychny, Olenokostyantynivka and Varvarivka.
In the Orikhiv direction, four clashes with the enemy took place in the Stepnohirsk and Plavni areas.
In the Dnieper direction, Ukrainian units repelled one enemy attack towards the Antoniv Bridge.
Recall that on the night of March 2, at least three warships were damaged in the port of Novorossiysk.
The Navy stated that some of the Russian Navy ships that the Defense Forces recently struck in the port of Novorossiysk had previously been damaged by strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 21:41 In the period from 17:00 Moscow time to 20:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type:
Three UAVs over the territory of the Kursk region,
Two UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region.
18:24 In the period from 10:00 Moscow time to 17:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed 37 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
20 UAVs – over the territory of Belgorod,
12 UAVs – over the territory of the Kursk region,
Five UAVs – over the territory of the Bryansk region.
18:17 Military personnel of the Vostok group caughta group of enemy UAVs in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Attack drone crews from the 51st Guards Combined Arms Army of the Center group destroyed bunkers housing Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
16:53 On frames: Arrivals of "Geraniums" at the gas processing plant in the village of Gubinikha, Dnipropetrovsk region.
14:26 Specialists of the Geranium unmanned aerial vehicle system hit an Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the helipad.
13:33 Severyan scouts in the area of the urban-type settlement of Bely Kolodez opened movement of an armored personnel carrier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces loaded with materiel.
12:35 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation.
Last night, in response to Ukraine's terrorist attacks on civilian targets in Russia, the Russian Armed Forces launched a massive strike using long-range precision weapons from land, air, and sea, and unmanned aerial vehicles, targeting Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises, energy infrastructure facilities used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and military airfields.
The strike's objectives have been achieved. All designated targets have been hit.
Units of the North group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of a mechanized brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Khotyn, Novodmitrivka, Miropolye, Grabovskoye, and Novaya Sich in the Sumy region.
In the Khar'kov region, units of three mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, and a National Guard brigade were defeated near the villages of Vovchanski Khutora, Peschanoye, Granov, and Starytsia in the Khar'kov region. The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 200 troops and ten vehicles. An Israeli-made RADA RPS-42 radar station, two electronic warfare stations, and four ammunition and supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the "West" force group occupied more advantageous positions and lines. They defeated the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and a National Guard brigade near the settlements of Lozove, Yatskovka, Svyatogorsk, Krasny Liman, and Rubtsy in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Borovaya and Novoosinovo in the Khar'kov region.
The enemy lost over 180 troops, a US-made M-113 armored personnel carrier, a US-made HMMWV armored fighting vehicle, 16 vehicles, and two field artillery pieces. An electronic warfare station, a Dutch-made Robin IRIS radar, and three ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces improved their position along the forward edge. They defeated formations of three mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade, and a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as a naval infantry brigade, near the villages of Druzhkovka, Novoselovka, Kondratovka, Kaleniki, Ilyinovka, Kramatorsk, Nikiforovka, Golubovka, and Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 200 troops, a tank, an Italian-made Puma armored personnel carrier, an armored combat vehicle, 14 vehicles, and three field artillery pieces. An Israeli-made RADA RPS-42 radar station, a US-made TPS-80 counter-battery station, and six ammunition and supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the "Center" force group occupied more advantageous positions and lines. They defeated the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades, a Jaeger brigade, an airmobile brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and three National Guard brigades near the settlements of Annovka, Zolotoy Kolodez, Toretskoye, Sergeyevka, Belitskoye, and Grishino in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Novopidgorodne, Novonikolayevka, and Novopavlovka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Ukrainian armed forces suffered losses of over 335 servicemen and nine armored combat vehicles. Four vehicles and an artillery piece were destroyed.
Units of the "East" force group continued to advance deep into the enemy's defenses. Over the course of the day, four attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces units in armored vehicles were repelled near the settlements of Gai, Dobropasovo, and Velykymykhaylivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
As a result, up to 40 Ukrainian servicemen, three armored personnel carriers (including a US-made M-113, Stryker, and M-1117), an infantry fighting vehicle, and two armored combat vehicles were destroyed. Formations of a mechanized, airborne assault, and assault brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade were defeated near the settlements of Starokas'yanivske, Zarechne, Kolomiytsye, and Novoskelevatoe in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Komsomolske, Verkhnyaya Tersa, and Vozdvizhevka in Zaporizhia Oblast. The enemy lost over 360 servicemen, eight armored combat vehicles, and three automobiles.
Units of the Dnipro Forces Group improved their tactical position. They defeated the personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized and mountain assault brigades near the villages of Hryhorivka and Dymytrove in the Zaporizhzhia region. Up to 60 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, an armored combat vehicle, 14 vehicles, and four electronic warfare stations were destroyed.
Tactical aviation, strike drones, missile forces, and artillery from the Russian Armed Forces destroyed a Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force, damaged transport infrastructure used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and also struck temporary deployment sites for Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 149 districts. Air defense assets shot down three guided bombs and 200 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
12:23 By the Zala crew of the 71st Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the Guards Forces Sever in the area of the village of Volokhovskoye (Volchansky District) opened the location of the UAV launcher from which the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched heavy copters such as the Baba Yaga.
10:47 Special forces units of the 11th Airborne Brigade of the Dnepr group sharpen Sabotage and reconnaissance skills. The guys from Buryatia train seriously: ambushes, raids, sabotage behind enemy lines. They practice everything to the point of automatism. They work with drones, electronic warfare, and communications.
Guardsmen from the 177th Naval Infantry Regiment of the Center Forces Group continue combat coordination and training, with a particular emphasis on countering enemy UAVs and tactical medicine.
08:55 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 124 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
29 UAVs – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
15 UAVs – over the territory of the Oryol region,
11 UAVs – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
Nine UAVs – over the territory of the Ryazan region,
Eight UAVs – over the territory of the Kaluga region,
Seven UAVs – over the territory of the Voronezh region,
Six UAVs each – over the territory of Kursk, Rostov, Volgograd regions and the Republic of Crimea,
Five UAVs each – over the territory of the Tula and Samara regions
Three UAVs each – over the territory of the Lipetsk region, the Moscow region, including 1 UAV flying to Moscow,
Two UAVs each – over the territory of the Saratov and Ulyanovsk regions,
One UAV – over the territory of the Ivanovo region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Archaeologists in Torzhok, Tver Oblast, have discovered a hoard of more than 400 coins from the reign of Emperor Nicholas II,
…he ruled 1894-1917…
hidden by the owners of a house. This was reported by the press service of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"The hoard contains 409 gold coins from 1848 to 1911, including 10 pieces of 5-ruble denomination, 2 pieces of 7.5 rubles, 387 pieces of 10 rubles, and 10 pieces of 15 rubles. <…> The bulk of the coins date back to the reign of Emperor Nicholas II," the statement reads.
The artifacts were discovered during excavations at the site of a house destroyed during the Great Patriotic War. After the war, the new owners restored the building, preserving the ancient foundation, where the clay vessel containing the coins was hidden.
This is one of the largest hoards of gold coins from the late 19th and early 20th centuries found during archaeological excavations, according to a note on the institute's website published on March 5.
Experts have concluded that they have discovered a so-called "return treasure." The owners hid it during the revolutionary events of 1917, intending to retrieve it later, but were unable to do so. Among the known owners of houses in Torzhok between 1914 and 1921 were priests, two merchants, a treasurer, an accountant, a shoemaker, a mechanic, a secretary, a tailor, a member of a judicial commission, an overseer, and a laborer. Researchers will determine who owned the money.
Russians are Big Mad about nukes in Finland by Andrey Bulkin
[REGNUM] In recent years, the international situation has been rapidly changing. The world is becoming more confrontational, tensions between countries are rising, and diplomatic mechanisms are faltering.
Today, several international crises are unfolding around states with nuclear potential.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is taking place with the active political and military involvement of the West. In the Middle East, the confrontation between Israel, the United States, its regional allies, and Iran has sharply escalated.
Against this backdrop, statements from various countries are becoming increasingly vocal on a topic that until recently seemed taboo: the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
THE PROBLEM OF TRUST
Of course, the increase in the number of armed conflicts, as a result of which major powers increasingly find themselves on opposite sides of the barricades, can be called one of the main reasons.
However, an equally important factor is the decline in trust in international relations. The situation surrounding the negotiations between the US and Iran is a prime example. Just recently, the parties declared progress in the talks, but just 24 hours later, the United States launched a war that has drawn virtually the entire Middle East into it over the past week.
One cannot help but recall the Minsk agreements, which were long considered a mechanism for a political settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
However, in 2022, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that Europe needed these agreements only to give Kyiv time to strengthen its armed forces.
Such cases – and there are many of them – are gradually creating a climate of suspicion in the world, in which many states are beginning to doubt that successful negotiations and international agreements can guarantee their security.
NUCLEAR DREAMS
Against this backdrop, calls to acquire nuclear weapons are increasingly being heard in a number of countries that don't possess them. What's particularly alarming is that some of them are located in close proximity to our borders and are far from friendly toward us.
Such debates are, as is well known, particularly active in Ukraine. Even before the SVO, Ukrainian politicians declared that abandoning the nuclear arsenal in the 1990s was a strategic mistake. For example, in 2021, David Arakhamia, head of the presidential Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada, spoke of this.
"I think [former Ukrainian President Leonid ] Kravchuk made a fatal mistake—getting rid of nuclear weapons after signing the meaningless (Budapest) memorandum. Essentially, we are all inheriting this grave mistake today," Arakhamia said on the Ukraine 24 television channel.
“We could blackmail the entire world, and they would give us money for maintenance,” he added, thereby making it clear why Kiev needs nuclear weapons.
In recent years, statements about Ukraine's need to attain nuclear status have become increasingly common. Just at the end of February, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with the British television channel Sky News that he would gladly accept nuclear weapons from Western countries.
And everything would be fine, since Kyiv has made many crazy statements in recent years. However, the information received by the SVR that Great Britain and France really do intend to supply Ukraine with nuclear weapons forces us to take such Napoleonic plans with the utmost seriousness.
Similar calls are being heard in Poland, where the possibilities of both deploying nuclear weapons to allies and developing their own capabilities are being actively discussed.
Back in 2024, the Deputy Minister of National Defense of the Republic, Pawel Zalewski, announced that Poland had submitted a request to NATO to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory as part of the Nuclear Sharing program.
It involves the deployment of US nuclear weapons on the territory of European countries, with the decision to use the weapons remaining with the Americans.
There was no official response from overseas, especially since the United States had previously committed not to deploy its nuclear arsenal in countries that joined the North Atlantic Alliance after 1997. However, this did not stop the Poles.
In the same year, 2024, General Jarosław Kraszewski, former head of the Polish ground forces' missile and artillery forces, reassured his compatriots by declaring that acquiring nuclear weapons was a realistic scenario that would become a "challenge for the country in the coming years," and expressed confidence that a review of the current global nuclear weapons system would take place after the end of the conflict in Ukraine.
Since then, talk about this has only died down temporarily.
Less than a month ago, for example, Polish President Karol Nawrocki brazenly announced that Warsaw would like to acquire its own nuclear arsenal.
"I'm a big supporter of Poland joining the nuclear project. This is the path we must follow, " he declared, seemingly forgetting that the very virtue of the international norms he'd mentioned was that they've prevented such a possibility for many years.
Just a couple of days ago, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk made a similar, albeit slightly more diplomatic, statement.
"Poland will not want to remain passive in matters of nuclear security in a military context," Tusk said.
According to the prime minister, Warsaw currently intends to cooperate with France and other allies on nuclear weapons, but will later—"as its autonomous capabilities grow"—attempt to move toward independent action. "We will strive to prepare Poland for maximum autonomy in this matter in the future," Tusk said.
The Polish leader chose to remain silent about what "autonomous actions" of this kind entail, but the very fact that nuclear rhetoric has recently intensified in the highest echelons of power in Poland has raised legitimate concerns.
It's important to note that such discussions aren't limited to Europe. Similar ideas periodically surface in Asian countries, such as South Korea and Japan. Given current events in the Middle East, there's every reason to believe that countries in the region may also develop nuclear ambitions.
WHAT IS FRANCE HIDING?
The problem isn't just that new states are beginning to consider acquiring nuclear weapons. What's far worse is that attitudes toward them are changing even in countries already in the "nuclear club."
French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced plans to increase the number of nuclear warheads. He also announced that Paris would no longer disclose the exact size of its nuclear arsenal.
"I am responsible for ensuring that our deterrent maintains its guaranteed destructive power in the future... That is why I have ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads in our arsenal. To prevent any speculation, we will no longer disclose the size of our nuclear arsenal as we have in the past," he said during a speech at the Ile Long Naval Base.
Furthermore, the French leader stated the possibility of extending France's "nuclear umbrella" to a number of European countries. These include Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. Simply put, France wants to deploy its nuclear weapons in these countries, reserving the right to use them exclusively for itself.
Tellingly, European countries actively support this initiative. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced at the Munich Security Conference that he is already in talks with France on establishing a nuclear deterrent system in Europe.
That is, even the topic of nuclear weapons, which was taboo for Germany for many years, no longer seems so forbidden to Europeans.
It was no coincidence that after the Nazis' defeat in World War II, the Germans found themselves under severe military restrictions. The victorious powers sought to prevent the resurgence of German military might, which had already led Europe to major wars twice in the 20th century.
This is precisely why the question of Germany's own nuclear weapons was not even considered for decades: it was believed that the emergence of such a capability in a state with such historical experience could cause serious concern among neighboring countries and destabilize the European security system.
It's also important to remember that after German reunification in 1990, these restrictions were politically enshrined. As part of the Final Settlement Treaty, the country reaffirmed its renunciation of weapons of mass destruction.
Furthermore, Germany remains a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which prohibits states without the relevant status from developing their own nuclear arsenals. However, these obligations seem to have no effect on the current German leadership.
The ambitions of more modest countries also raise concerns.
For example, the Finnish authorities, to whom France also promised its "umbrella," had already approved amendments to the law on nuclear energy the day before, which envisage lifting the ban on the transit of nuclear weapons through the country's territory, as announced by Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen.
The Finns apparently didn't think joining NATO was enough, so they decided to make every effort to turn their country, which had maintained neutrality for many years and benefited from it, into a springboard against Russia.
And overall, current European rhetoric in the context of possible nuclear proliferation raises serious questions. Just yesterday, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken called the US and Israeli operation against Iran "righteous"—with all the inherent meanings of that word. With such sentiments, nuclear crusades are just around the corner.
In short, while just ten years ago talk of a new wave of nuclear weapons proliferation in Europe seemed either a joke or a conspiracy theory, today the situation has changed dramatically.
And while the global community has so far been more or less successful in preventing new countries from acquiring nuclear weapons, the non-proliferation system may not be able to withstand the impact of the French "nuclear umbrella."
THE COST OF ERROR
The main problem with nuclear proliferation is that with each new state acquiring such an arsenal, the global security system becomes less predictable. Risks increase on several fronts.
First, the number of potential nuclear conflicts is increasing.
As long as only a limited number of states possess nuclear weapons, the range of possible scenarios for their use remains relatively narrow. But if such countries become more numerous, the number of crises, each potentially serious, will increase dramatically.
For example, if several states in a region go nuclear, any serious escalation between them will pose a risk to the entire world. A typical example is the standoff between India and Pakistan, which has repeatedly led to extremely dangerous crises. Both states possess nuclear weapons, and each new round of escalation poses a real threat to global security.
Secondly, the risk of accidental or erroneous escalation increases.
Nuclear crises don't always start with a deliberate decision to use weapons. Sometimes, they can be caused by a technical error, a misjudgment of the situation, or a false alarm from early warning systems.
The history of the Cold War is replete with similar episodes. The most famous remains the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the standoff between the US and the USSR nearly led to global war. Back then, the world found itself on the brink of disaster due to a chain of political and military decisions, each of which heightened tensions.
There were other cases where failures in the automatic systems nearly led to the start of a nuclear war, and a third world war was avoided only thanks to the iron nerves of missilemen serving on both sides of the ocean.
The more countries possess nuclear weapons, the greater the likelihood that dangerous situations could arise again – sometimes even without malicious intent.
Finally, nuclear proliferation can trigger a chain reaction across entire regions. When one country acquires nuclear capabilities, its neighbors inevitably begin to consider their own security. As a result, the logic of "if they have it, then we need it too" emerges.
For these reasons, the proliferation of nuclear weapons is considered one of the most serious threats to international security.
ON THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW NUCLEAR ERA
After the end of the Cold War, it seemed that the threat of global nuclear confrontation was a thing of the past. However, events in recent years show that this hope was premature.
The rise in international conflicts, the weakening of arms control mechanisms, and the decline in trust between states could trigger a crisis in the existing nuclear non-proliferation system.
In such a case, the world risks entering a new era of nuclear rivalry—far less predictable than the standoff between the USSR and the United States. And the more states join the nuclear club, the more difficult it will be to avoid a global catastrophe.
Therefore, the activity of European countries in promoting the idea of revising the shaky status quo is puzzling.
[ZeroHedge] The last thing the world needs at this moment of raging war in Iran and the Persian Gulf region is another round of nuclear saber-rattling related to that other raging hotspot - the Ukraine conflict, but that's precisely what is happening again this week.
The Kremlin is warning that Russia could respond if Finland moves forward with plans to scrap its longstanding ban on the transit and storage of nuclear weapons, framing the proposal as a direct security threat on its border.
The alleged nuclear discussions come after reports that NATO could look for alternatives to Washington providing Europe with NATO's 'nuclear shield' - as has always been the case since the Cold War. Finland is a new NATO member, having only just formally joined the alliance, abandoning historic neutrality, in April of 2023.
On Thursday, the Finnish government confirmed it will seek amendments to the country's Nuclear Energy Act and Criminal Code, removing legal barriers that currently prevent the import or hosting of nuclear weapons for defense purposes.
Officials suggest the legislative changes could be implemented as soon as the summer, effectively clearing the legal path for deeper integration with NATO's nuclear posture.
Moscow has predictably reacted swiftly, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters Friday that such steps risk escalating tensions across Europe.
"Such decisions lead to an escalation of tensions on the European continent," he said, before issuing a blunt warning: "By deploying nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is beginning to threaten us. And if Finland threatens us, we take appropriate measures." Peskov noted further that Helsinki's rhetoric only increases Finland's own vulnerability.
And of course, Russia and Finland share an over 800-mile border which has been increasingly militarized in the wake of the start of the Ukraine war over four years ago.
Finnish officials, however, are attempting to manage the fallout and reassure their nuclear-armed super power neighbor, with President Alexander Stubb insisting the legislative move does not signal plans to host nuclear arms, saying, “Finland does not want to have nuclear weapons on its territory, and there are no such plans in NATO.”
The Defense Ministry echoed that position, arguing the amendments are meant to remove legal obstacles rather than pave the way for direct deployment, allowing Finland to fully participate in NATO's defense framework. Moscow is unlikely to buy any of these arguments, seeing in the change a clear precedent for further escalation.
BBC paywall. Ukrainian spy and killer drones in the sky, uncrewed boats attacking Russian naval ships in the Black Sea. Next are uncrewed ground vehicles repelling Russian attacks and even taking Russian soldiers prisoner.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
