Putin To Retaliate With Nukes? Fears Rise After Ukraine Blows Up 41 Russia's Airbases, 41 Fighter Jets

India.com

3 days ago

New Delhi: The world is holding its breath as Russian President Vladimir Putin weighs a potential doomsday response to one of the most humiliating attacks on Russian soil since the war began. Military chatter and intelligence leaks hint at a chilling possibility that Russia may retaliate with its most terrifying weapons, the nuclear-capable RS-28 Sarmat and Satan-2 missiles.
A daring and well-coordinated drone operation launched by Ukraine punched through Russia's defenses and decimated five airbases in a single night. With 41 jets destroyed, including some of Moscow's most advanced aircraft, the strike embarrassed the Kremlin and exposed shocking vulnerabilities in Russian air defense. The attack is being hailed in Kyiv as a breakthrough moment in the war. But the celebration is shadowed by a much darker possibility – massive retaliation.
Although there is no official confirmation so far, reports suggest that Russia has secretly moved its most destructive assets into launch-ready positions. Nicknamed 'Satan II', the RS-28 Sarmat is an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying up to 15 nuclear warheads and reaching targets as far as 16,000 kilometers away (anywhere on Earth).
Its older sibling, the Satan-2, is not far behind in destructive power. Designed to obliterate entire cities, these missiles are engineered for impact as well as domination.
'If Putin chooses to press the nuclear button, the consequences will be irreversible. Even a limited strike would plunge Europe, and potentially the world, into a crisis unseen since World War II,' warned a former NATO strategist.
Beyond its nuclear inventory, Russia's conventional arsenal remains formidable. Hypersonic missiles, cruise weapons and elite fighters like the Su-57 and Su-35 give Moscow the tools for a savage response – with or without nukes.
But it is the mere presence of nuclear weapons that changes the game. Russia's stockpile includes both strategic warheads meant for global targets and tactical ones designed for battlefield use – a grey area that could tempt the Kremlin to send a 'message' without sparking full-scale Armageddon.
Pressure Mounts in Moscow
Inside the Kremlin, pressure is reportedly mounting on Putin to strike back hard. The drone attack has sparked outrage among military hardliners – many of whom see restraint as weakness. With each passing hour, speculation grows over whether Russia will escalate this war to an unthinkable level.
'The fear is not about what Russia can do. It is about what it might do when its back is against the wall,' said a senior European diplomat.
The world watches and waits for now. But with missiles possibly being readied and rhetoric growing sharper, the war in Ukraine may be hurtling toward a new and far more dangerous phase.