Russian protesters demand nuclear weapons aimed at US cities

A group of members of the Russian National Liberation Movement (NOD) chanted and marched through the streets to demand that Russian nuclear warheads and missiles be aimed at American cities, according to a video released Thursday.

In the video, posted online by Julia Davis, founder of the monitoring group Russia Media Monitor, the anti-Western nationalist group is seen marching in the rain while listing the nuclear warheads it wants to aim at American cities.

A protest leader shouts in Russian: “Yars, Sarmat, Poseidon, we are targeting Washington!” referring to the RS-24 Yars missiles, which can carry multiple nuclear warheads, the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, and the Poseidon torpedoes.

Members of the pro-Kremlin group NOD, founded by Yevgeny Fyodorov, carried a flag with black and orange stripes, some, like the leader, pinning it to their shirts. The St. George ribbon, which has long commemorated World War II veterans, has in recent years become a symbol of Russian nationalism and militarism and was banned in 2017 in Ukraine.

The video shows a car amid marching protesters with an orange missile attached to its roof. The group has already demonstrated in front of the US embassy with a similar missile.

The protest took place amid Russia's repeated threats to use nuclear weapons against the United States and NATO countries during the Russo-Ukrainian War that lasted more than two years after the invasion Russian on February 24, 2022. Recently, Russia began to deploy tactical nuclear weapons. exercises.

In a meeting with the country's Foreign Ministry leaders on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that “we have moved unacceptably close to the point of no return,” referring to the threat from Russia to deploy nuclear weapons.

According to the official Tass news agency, Putin said the West
“They are either unaware of the magnitude of the threat they themselves pose, or they are simply obsessed with the belief in their own impunity and their own exceptionalism. Both can turn into tragedy.”

Putin's comments come a day after the United States and Ukraine signed a 10-year security agreement aimed at strengthening and maintaining Ukraine's defense and deterrence capabilities.

John Isaacs, a senior fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization aimed at reducing nuclear threats, said: News week in a telephone interview, Putin's recent rhetoric and warnings constitute “threats aimed at influencing the behavior of NATO and the United States.”

He added that in light of the deal, “Putin, I believe, is doing everything he can to claim that 'United States, if you don't behave, you will suffer the consequences'.” This is one of the few actions left for Putin.

“In the absence of a victory or takeover of Ukraine, the best Putin can do is threaten,” Isaacs said. “The United States should consider this a false flag, a threat that will not be carried out, that cannot be carried out for the good of Russia and the United States.

“If Putin started using nuclear weapons, he would die, just like a lot of people in Russia, a lot of people in the United States or in NATO. In other words, it is suicidal for any country .”

Isaacs explained the seriousness and total annihilation of nuclear war, saying that “you have nuclear weapons, you're talking about ending most life on earth – tremendous damage to your own country as well as to other countries.” other countries “.

Russia has about 5,580 nuclear warheads, according to a 2024 report from the Federation of American Scientists, which said the United States has 5,044. Seven other countries have nuclear weapons, but their stockpiles are believed to fall short of the American and Russian stocks.

News week On Friday, he contacted the Russian presidential press office for comment via email.