Nothing stops Russia from launching nuclear attack - Defense Express

He shared this on Espreso TV.

"Russians might even launch a nuclear strike. There's nothing to stop them from doing so. These attacks may not necessarily involve intercontinental or medium-range missiles. Standard carriers of nuclear warheads include Iskander systems or Kh-102 missiles," he said.

Katkov emphasized that Russia is trying to intimidate not just Ukraine, but the entire world. He reminded that since 2022, Russia has been using Kh-55 missiles with nuclear warheads. Intelligence efforts will monitor and respond to potential threats.

"Russia has many ‘delivery’ systems, including those that use high-explosive warheads, which can be equipped with nuclear charges. If preparations for a nuclear strike begin, there will be signals and actions that will allow our partners to detect and warn Russia about the inevitable consequences of such an attack," he explained.

Read also: Russia’s potential deployment of RS-26 Rubezh missile sparks grounded alarm - expert

Katkov stressed the importance for Ukrainians of responding quickly to air raid warnings. In the case of a ballistic missile attack, especially with medium-range missiles, there will be little time to take cover - sometimes less than 10 minutes.

During such attacks, the missile flies into space, reaching an altitude of over 100 km. Then, the warheads return to the atmosphere and strike the target. This makes the missile's trajectory hard to predict and limits the time to respond.

Read also: Russia tests its remaining stock of RS-26 ICBM in strike on Dnipro — military expert Zgurets

Due to the missile's speed (over 5-6 km/s), intercepting it depends on having modern air defense systems that can track it during different flight stages, Katkov explains.

“There are two fixed missile defense systems in Europe - one in Poland and one in Romania - that can intercept missiles, including medium-range ones. This is a key technical issue, as interception depends on the missile’s flight path during its active stages. Our partners could also supply us with mobile systems, like those on wheels. One option is the THAAD system, which is a safety net. It can intercept monoblock warheads from medium-range missiles, mainly within the atmosphere and slightly beyond. However, the U.S. only has seven THAAD batteries,” he said.

Katkov added that the best time to intercept intermediate-range missiles is before the warheads separate. At this stage, only one target needs to be hit - the warhead or upper stage - before it splits into multiple targets.

• On Thursday, November 21, the Russian army launched an attack on Ukraine using MiG-31K and Tu-95 aircraft, targeting the Dnipropetrovsk region.
• On November 21, Russian forces launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, along with Kinzhal and Kh-101 missiles, at Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense destroyed six targets.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that on November 21, Russian forces used a new missile against Ukraine, possibly an intercontinental ballistic missile.
• Ukraine's Foreign Ministry is pursuing diplomatic measures and leveraging UN and NATO mechanisms in response to Russia's use of a new missile resembling an intercontinental ballistic missile.
• Valentyn Badrak, Director of the Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies, a military expert, believes that Putin's actions are aimed at political bargaining to make him a winner in the eyes of the Russian audience.