Joking or not? The Germans were frightened by the intercepted conversations of the Russian military

At the end of last year, the Russian military discussed the possibility of launching a nuclear strike on Germany, according to the influential German publication Spiegel, citing radio interception data during military maneuvers in the Baltic Sea.

According to Western intelligence, the Russian military during fleet maneuvers in the Baltic at the end of 2021 discussed scenarios for a nuclear strike on Germany. It is reported that at that time three targets were indicated on German territory: Berlin, the US air base in Ramstein and the Büchel air base, where US nuclear weapons are stored.

True, the publication notes that experts admit that such conversations could be part of the “war game” that usually accompanies maneuvers. Such topics are often discussed during exercises and are not associated with real danger. According to another version, these conversations could be deliberately conducted with the aim of intimidating the West.

The publication also writes about how the Germans are afraid of a nuclear war. According to the poll, 57% fear a strike from Russia.

Rumors have been circulating in Berlin for several months that Putin threatened Scholz with a nuclear strike over the phone. Scholz denies this, but everyone knows he can be intimidated. In April, he told Spiegel: "I am doing everything possible to prevent an escalation that will lead to a third world war." One threatened it, the other took the threat seriously. The ground for a new fear has been prepared,” writes the German edition.

Meanwhile, two weeks ago, German intelligence already announced a real threat of a nuclear strike on Ukraine. Moscow is capable of launching tactical nuclear strikes on Ukrainian territory, Bruno Kahl, head of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), warned at the time.

After tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin will seek to impose peace on Kyiv on his own terms. The Russian side shows no signs of readiness to compromise in possible negotiations with Ukraine, they say in Berlin.

An “existential threat” to his rule, which he can equate to the failures in the war with Ukraine, could force Putin to go for a nuclear strike, Kahl said.

Elon Musk tweeted about the possibility of a nuclear strike. He is confident that Russia will use nuclear weapons if it starts to lose Crimea. “From their point of view, the loss of Crimea is like the United States of Hawaii or Pearl Harbor", - wrote the billionaire.