Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The CIA chief allegedly warned the Kremlin not to attack any NATO countries.
Russia test-launched a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile on Friday, the Moscow Times reported.
The weapon roared off the pad at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the north and travelled across the country to hit targets on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Ministry of Defense reported that mobile launch crews trained in remote terrain during the drill.
Military officials refused to name the precise system involved. Even so, defense analysts point out that Moscow relies heavily on its Topol and Yars missile lines for long-range deterrence.
Both platforms can reach targets over six thousand miles away, putting the American mainland well within range. According to research from SIPRI, these systems form the backbone of Russia’s land-based nuclear deterrent.
Whispers in Moscow
The sudden drill happened just three days after a quiet mission to the Russian capital. Washington dispatched CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow for an unannounced meeting with Russian security chief Alexander Bortnikov.
Several media have since reported that Ratcliffe used the trip to warn the Kremlin not to attack NATO members, as well as to give a grim assessment of Russia’s war effort and domestic economy.
US leadership chose an intelligence chief for the mission on purpose. They believed the message would land better coming from one spy to another.
Rising nuclear risks
The warning may not have worked. Kremlin insiders told Bloomberg that top leadership remains unwilling to compromise in Ukraine, even as long-range strikes hit inside Russian territory.
Some figures close to the president now believe he could resort to tactical nuclear weapons if pushed. Russia holds over eighteen hundred tactical warheads, vast reserves compared to Western stockpiles.
At the same time, Moscow is ramping up its everyday firepower. Ukrainian intelligence uncovered plans for Russia to build ten thousand low-cost cruise missiles by 2027 to maintain heavy pressure on the front lines.
