Latest news with #NorthernFleet
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Risk level goes up' — Ukraine's strike on Russian bombers could escalate war, US envoy Kellogg says
Ukraine's drone assault on Russia's strategic bomber fleet, known as Operation Spiderweb, could escalate the war and provoke unpredictable responses from Moscow, U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg said in an interview with Fox News on June 3. The operation, launched by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), reportedly targeted four airfields deep inside Russian territory, striking 41 aircraft and inflicting what Kyiv claims is $7 billion in damage. The targeted air bases reportedly housed Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers, essential carriers of long-range cruise missiles used in Moscow's air strikes on Ukrainian cities. "I'm telling you the risk levels are going way up," Kellogg said. "When you attack an opponent's part of their national survival system, which is their nuclear triad, that means your risk level goes up because you don't know what the other side's going to do." According to the SBU, 117 drones were launched from mobile platforms across Russia, enabling simultaneous strikes on targets located thousands of kilometers from Ukraine's borders. Kellogg also pointed to reports of explosions at the Severomorsk naval base, home to some of Russia's most advanced submarines. Kyiv has not confirmed targeting Russia's Northern Fleet. "The one that really concerned me was the fact that there have been reports that they attacked the naval, the Northern Fleet headquarters in Severomorsk," Kellogg said. "And if that's the case — when you attack two legs of a triad — it's very clear the risk levels will go up." Russian officials have denied that the base was hit, and no independent confirmation has emerged. According to Kellogg, the attacks showed that Kyiv "is not lying down on that." "Ukraine is basically, 'We can play this game, too.' And they can raise the risk level to levels that are basically, to me, they've got to be unacceptable," he added. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Despite the scale and strategic implications of the Ukrainian operation, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not publicly addressed the strike. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has positioned himself as a would-be peacemaker, has also remained silent. Pressed by reporters on June 3, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump was not informed in advance about the operation. "I would like to let the president speak on that himself," Leavitt said. She later added, "The president does not want to see this war prolonged. He wants this war to stop." Ukrainian officials say the operation took 18 months to plan. While Kyiv says the strike dealt a serious blow to Russia's strategic air capabilities, the full extent of the damage remains unverified. Operation Spiderweb marks one of the most sophisticated and far-reaching Ukrainian operations since the start of the full-scale war in 2022 — and a stark signal of Ukraine's growing capacity to strike deep inside Russian territory. Read also: Inside Russia, calls for peace come with conditions — and Kremlin talking points We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Moment Putin's doomsday nuclear planes explode in major Ukrainian sneak attack
Two major Russian airfields for Vladimir Putin's nuclear strike warplanes are said to have gone up in flames following a reported attack by Ukraine. Both airfields, one in the Arctic and the other in Siberia, are thousands of miles from Ukraine but were "under drone attack" - with dozens of Moscow's nuclear capable warplanes destroyed. The attack - with drones possibly released from trucks near the bases - appears one of the most sensational of the entire war and the darkest day for Putin. Olenya airbase in Arctic Murmansk region is home to Russia's Tu-95 strategic bombers - potentially used to launch nuclear strikes on the West. They have been used to attack Ukraine with conventional weapons. Belaya nuclear airbase in eastern Siberia's Irkutsk region - some 2,900 miles from Ukraine - was also ablaze. Ukraine's SBU secret service was reportedly conducting a large-scale special operation to destroy Russian bombers. The Ukrainian media claimed more than 40 Putin aircraft had been hit, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and A-50 strategic bombers. The damage to the enemy was alleged to exceed £1.5 billion. A driver of a truck filled with drones that attacked Olenegorsk in Murmansk "may not have known about the cargo," said a report. According to Baza media, the driver has been detained. "A truck stopped at a gas station at the entrance to the started flying out of the back of the truck and then attacked various objects," said the report. A similar account was heard from Siberia, but there are no official comments yet. Ukraine's Pravda Gerashchenko Telegram channel said: "A special operation 'Web' is being conducted to demilitarise Russia. The [SBU] report the destruction of Russian bomber aircraft behind enemy lines. In particular, the destruction of more than 40 aircraft, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3." Reports emanating from Ukraine said two other major military air bases had been hit - in Ryazan and Ivanovo regions. Planes at Dyagilevo air base in Ryazan were reported ablaze, as seen on new footage. Unconfirmed reports also indicated further strikes at Russia's nuclear submarine base Severomorsk in the Arctic, headquarters of the Northern Fleet. Footage appeared to show black smoke at the scene on the Kola Peninsula following explosions at the secret base. It was unclear what had been hit. Russian war-channels immediately began calling for Putin to respond by using nuclear weapons. "Disabling strategic aircraft gives Russia the right to use nuclear weapons," declared Vladislav Pozdnyakov, a war expert. "Let me remind you." The country's nuclear doctrine allows for a nuclear response in the event of an attack on "critical government or military infrastructure". In particular, "an enemy attack that disrupts the operation of nuclear forces, threatening Russia's ability to respond" could lead to Putin ordering an atomic strike. The strike comes ahead of peace talks tomorrow due in Istanbul. Rybar war channel in Russia said: "The attack was carried out by FPV drones that were launched from vans that arrived at the facilities. Control was conducted through repeaters installed there via satellite communications. "As we have previously said, the Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic aircraft have long been taken out of production, and there is nothing to restore them. Accordingly, these losses cannot be recovered. This is without understatement a very serious damage to the strategic component, caused both by serious miscalculations in the work of intelligence services, and negligent attitude to aircraft, which even after all the attacks stood in the open field without shelter."
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Moment Putin's doomsday nuclear planes explode in major Ukrainian sneak attack
Two major Russian airfields for Vladimir Putin's nuclear strike warplanes are said to have gone up in flames following a reported attack by Ukraine. Both airfields, one in the Arctic and the other in Siberia, are thousands of miles from Ukraine but were "under drone attack" - with dozens of Moscow's nuclear capable warplanes destroyed. The attack - with drones possibly released from trucks near the bases - appears one of the most sensational of the entire war and the blackest day for Putin. Olenya airbase in Arctic Murmansk region is home to Russia's Tu-95 strategic bombers - potentially used to launch nuclear strikes on the West. They have been used to attack Ukraine with conventional weapons. Belaya nuclear airbase in eastern Siberia's Irkutsk region - some 2,900 miles from Ukraine - was also ablaze. Ukraine's SBU secret service was reportedly conducting a large-scale special operation to destroy Russian bombers. The Ukrainian media claimed more than 40 Putin aircraft had been hit, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and A-50 strategic bombers. The damage to the enemy was alleged to exceed £1.5 billion. A driver of a truck filled with drones that attacked Olenegorsk in Murmansk "may not have known about the cargo," said a report. According to Baza media, the driver has been detained. "A truck stopped at a gas station at the entrance to the city….drones started flying out of the back of the truck and then attacked various objects," said the report. A similar account was heard from Siberia, but there are no official comments yet. Ukraine's Pravda Gerashchenko Telegram channel said: "A special operation 'Web' is being conducted to demilitarise Russia. The [SBU] report the destruction of Russian bomber aircraft behind enemy lines. In particular, the destruction of more than 40 aircraft, including A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3." Reports emanating from Ukraine said two other major military air bases had been hit - in Ryazan and Ivanovo regions. Planes at Dyagilevo air base in Ryazan were reported ablaze, as seen on new footage. Unconfirmed reports also indicated further strikes at Russia's nuclear submarine base Severomorsk in the Arctic, headquarters of the Northern Fleet. Footage appeared to show black smoke at the scene on the Kola Peninsula following explosions at the secret base. It was unclear what had been hit. Russian war-channels immediately began calling for Putin to respond by using nuclear weapons. "Disabling strategic aircraft gives Russia the right to use nuclear weapons," declared Vladislav Pozdnyakov, a war expert. "Let me remind you." Russia's nuclear doctrine allows for a nuclear response in the event of an attack on "critical government or military infrastructure". In particular, "an enemy attack that disrupts the operation of nuclear forces, threatening Russia's ability to respond" could lead to Putin ordering an atomic strike.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Inside Britain's mission to deny Russia control of the Arctic
Russia's 200-metre long floating dock was meant to help Moscow control the Arctic seas. In service, the vast craft will assist in repairing nuclear-powered ice-breakers, needed to cleave safe passage through the frozen waters around Nato's northern flank. But the journey of the craft to its home in the Russian port of Murmansk has been interrupted by British sanctions, the Foreign Office announced on Tuesday. The newly designated Vengery tugboat – due to tow the dock out of Istanbul – has returned to Russia, 'leaving the floating dock stranded in the Mediterranean'. The announcement will have put a spring in the step of David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, who on Tuesday began a visit to Norway and Iceland, Britain's two nearest Arctic neighbours. 'The Arctic is fast becoming an area of intense focus for geopolitical competition – and a key flank of Nato's defences. Russia has been building up its military presence here for years,' Mr Lammy told The Telegraph. The Foreign Secretary will observe British and Norwegian ships carrying out joint patrols before announcing an artificial intelligence scheme with Iceland aimed at detecting hostile vessels. 'And as ice caps in the region melt, new shipping routes and resources will be exposed, further heightening the risk of confrontation,' he said. 'That's why we must take action to deter threats in the Arctic.' Moscow is stepping up its campaign to dominate the Northern Sea route, which – when not frozen over – nearly halves the distance ships must travel between Europe and Asia. It is seeking to procure more of the nuclear-powered ice-breakers capable of unblocking the route far from its coasts. And Vladimir Putin has invested heavily in his prized Northern Fleet, which possesses 18 nuclear-powered submarines and warships now equipped with hypersonic missiles. The Russian dictator 'got the drop' over Nato with 'a decade of remilitarisation' in the Arctic before the war in Ukraine began, says Ed Arnold, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. Russia has peppered its Arctic regions with new military bases, upgraded the Northern Fleet to replace ageing Soviet craft, and invested in hypersonic, highly precise cruise missiles like the Tsirkon, whose 1,000km (621-mile) range brings Western targets into play. However, the war in Ukraine has stretched the Russian military and it is now 'so much weakened it's almost giving Nato a 'get out of jail free' card,' says Mr Arnold. 'If you invest and take this seriously now, you could potentially ensure supremacy in the Arctic' for the long term, he adds. Together, Norway and the UK form the front line against any Russian attempt to enter the waters of the North Atlantic, from where its vessels could sever transatlantic supply lines – and threaten population centres. In recent years, Moscow has stepped up patrols across the Arctic, accusing Nato of provoking the Kremlin with increased exercises in northern Norway. Like the Russian jets that fly along the edge of UK airspace, triggering a rapid reaction deployment from the RAF, the Russian navy conducts regular military exercises in the Arctic's non-territorial waters. Recent incidents have involved Russian ships sailing dangerously close to Norwegian vessels without warning them in advance over the radio. After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is now said to have a greater risk appetite in the Arctic, and is willing to push its strained relationship with Nato countries to its limit. That approach is described as 'overt posturing', designed as a show of force to the Western countries that operate within the Arctic circle. One recent development, surely prompted by Russia's success with drones in Ukraine, is to send unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) along its 124-mile border with Norway. The harsh Arctic territory would make it difficult for Russia to send tanks over the border in any great numbers, but drones can operate from the skies with a far smaller footprint than fast jets or ships. The alliance's response to Russia's sabre-rattling has been to step up the military collaboration between the UK and Norway. In a Nato training exercise in the Arctic Circle earlier this month, both countries' navies took part in drills showcasing the ability to shoot down Russia's latest cruise missiles. In Oslo, politicians have proposed a 12-year plan to increase defence spending in light of Russian aggression, and bought new anti-drone and anti-submarine technology. Meanwhile, the UK has deployed its new P-8 Poseidon 'sub hunter' planes, and is sharing defence technology and platforms with the Norwegian military. But in order to truly deter Putin, analysts are calling for a stepped-up presence both in the seas and on land. There is speculation that Labour's forthcoming Strategic Defence Review will result in British forces being permanently stationed in the Arctic, with a standing force modelled on that already deployed in Estonia. The West's navies also need to shift from holding high-profile exercises to continuous operations, says Mr Arnold. That requires more ships. 'What is actually going to worry Putin more will be the fact that - in three or four years' time - the general operational activity in the High North [Nato's term for the Arctic] has increased four-fold and continues to increase. That's what actually builds deterrence.' 'You need naval ships, of course,' adds Per Erik Solli, a retired Norwegian Air Force colonel and analyst at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. 'You need submarines and you need fighter jets, such as the F-35, that are capable of carrying anti-ship equipment. 'The number one priority in Norway is our navy.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
CNBC
23-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Moscow is getting tetchy as the West zones in on the Arctic for resources and security
Russia has long been the geopolitical kingpin of the Arctic, with deeply-embedded military, commercial and strategic investments in the region. But now that the U.S. and NATO are pivoting their focus to the Arctic for geoeconomic and security reasons, Moscow is getting tetchy about the West's newfound interest. That's perhaps to be expected, given Russia's territorial stake in the region: Russia spans 53% (or over 22,990 miles) of the Arctic Ocean coastline, and out of its population of around 146 million people, 2.5 millions Russians live and work there, according to the Arctic Institute, a center for circumpolar security studies. For locals — and the wider Russian economy — strategic drivers of jobs, investment and growth include oil, gas and mineral extraction industries, fisheries, and infrastructure and transportation logistics, particularly related to the Northern Sea Route, a major Arctic shipping route for Russia between Europe and Asia. In addition, Russia maintains its sea-based nuclear deterrent in the Arctic and has a number of military bases and airfields there, as well a specialized fleet of ice breakers to facilitate trade, transportation and resource extraction in the territory. This is why Russia watches closely when U.S. President Donald Trump says he's going to take over the resource-rich Arctic island of Greenland, or when NATO carries out Arctic war games. "NATO countries in general are increasingly designating the Far North as a springboard for possible conflicts,' Russian President Vladimir Putin commented as NATO allies conducted war drills in Norway in March that involved 10,000 NATO troops from nine allied nations. The exercises were designed, NATO said, to hone their skills, military capabilities and cooperation for extreme cold weather warfare. Putin was not convinced, stating that it "is obvious that the role and importance of the Arctic both for Russia and for the whole world is growing. But, unfortunately, geopolitical competition, the struggle for positions in this region, is also intensifying." Shortly after NATO's exercises, Russia's Northern Fleet (tasked with defending the Arctic seas along Northern Russia, including the Barents Sea and Kara Sea) begun exercises in the Arctic involving 20 ships and around 1,500 personnel, Russian news agency Interfax reported. CNBC has contacted the Kremlin for further comment and is awaiting a response. Russia is looking to aggressively expand its economic interests in the Arctic, with the region contributing significant value to the economy. "Today, the Arctic already produces 7.5% of Russia's gross domestic product and more than 11% of its exports," Alexey Chekunkov, minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, said last week in comments reported by newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, and translated by Google. Russia was "implementing global-scale investment projects in the Arctic and developing the world's largest network of Arctic cities," he added. "As the projects that have already begun are implemented, the importance of the Arctic in Russia's economy, logistics, and security will only increase," Chekunkov said, noting that "it is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Northern Sea Route, which provides a 40% shorter route between Europe and Asia." International sanctions designed to degrade Russia's oil and gas sector following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have affected some big projects in the region, with liquefied natural gas (LNG) output from the Arctic LNG 2 project and a mega oil project planned by Vostok Oil among the major infrastructure projects hit by Western sanctions. Russia has looked to evade sanctions by using a so-called "shadow fleet" of vessels and tankers to export its oil and gas supplies to customers still willing to buy them, with Ukraine's Western allies playing catch-up to try to close loopholes that have allowed Moscow to do this. Marie-Anne Coninsx, former EU ambassador for the Arctic, told CNBC Wednesday that the Arctic was "of crucial strategic interest for Russia, economically and [in terms of] security. It's an enormous source of GDP because of the extraction of energy resources, and the use of the Northern Sea Route is an enormous income for Russia. And with this income, and despite the sanctions, Russia has been able to finance one third of the cost of the war in Ukraine with these exports," she told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe." "The sanctions are having an effect but should go further, because it it is touching the the Russian economy, but there is the other aspect of security, because Russians known its nuclear powers are in the Arctic, and this is a serious threat for Europe," she said. One of the problems for Europe and NATO's Arctic strategy is that it is only playing catch-up when compared to Russia's long-standing development of its Arctic territory. Russia began reinvesting in Arctic affairs in the mid-2000s, said analysts at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), adding that "the Kremlin remains adamant in asserting complete control over the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation," as it looks to protect perceived vital interests along the Northern Sea Route. In contrast, the West's renewed interest in the Arctic has been largely spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "Until [that], I would say there was no real NATO awareness of the security threat in the Arctic, it was neglecting its northern flank," former EU ambassador to the Arctic Coninsx told CNBC. "But due to the invasion of Russia in Ukraine, and particularly thanks to the new membership [in the alliance] of Sweden and Finland, there is a strengthening security force from NATO in northern Europe ... And for the European Union, it has become more important for geo-economic and geopolitical security reasons." The Arctic "is becoming the center of world attention" also for "geoeconomic reasons" — including the fact that climate change meant the wealth of natural resources and critical minerals in the Arctic were now more accessible, and there are more shipping opportunities along the Northern Sea Route. "Therefore there is an increased interest also for major geopolitical players, not only of the U.S., but also from non-Arctic states, major ones like China," she said. U.S. interest in the Arctic has also been renewed by the Trump administration, with the president vowing to take over Greenland, potentially with military force. That did not go down well in either Greenland, Denmark or Europe, with widespread condemnation of the president's posture on the matter. Interestingly, Russia seemed to take a more sanguine position on Trump's interest, saying it was watching developments closely. Eyeing an opportunity to leverage its own experience in the "Far North" around the Arctic Circle, and perhaps to ingratiate itself with Trump, Bloomberg reported in February that Moscow was interested in developing joint projects with the U.S. around natural resource extraction and transportation in the Arctic. CNBC has asked the Kremlin and White House for further comment on the report and is awaiting a response.
