Russia moves its „doomsday missile“ closer to Europe

From its current location, the missile can reach London or Berlin in a matter of minutes…

In a move designed to flex its nuclear muscle, Russia has redeployed its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile closer to Europe.

The missile, also known in the West as the “Doomsday missile,” has been moved to the Kozelsk military base in the western part of Russia, some 1,500 kilometers from Moscow and 2,400 kilometers from London.

Taking into account its over Mach 30 top speed, the missile can hit London in less than five minutes.

The Kozelsk regiment, where the new missile was loaded into a silo, was the first in Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces to begin upgrading with Yars missiles. The move came hours after Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu said that his nation was paying “special attention to the formation of strategic naval nuclear forces.”

In a meeting with Russian military chiefs, the minister added that the share of modern ships in the naval nuclear force has reached 100 percent after three nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines entered the Navy’s service.

Meanwhile, Russia also plans to test the world’s largest ballistic missile, known as Satan 2, in the Arctic region.

Last week, Russian missile forces loaded an intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with the nuclear-capable Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle into a launch silo in southern Russia.

The RS-24 Yars missile has a range of 11,000 kilometers and can carry up to 10 independently targetable warheads of 150 kilotons each. Designed to defeat current and future air defenses, the missile has a top speed of 36,800 kilometers per hour, meaning it is over 30 times faster than the speed of sound.

Although the top speed of the world’s current fastest anti-ballistic missile, the U.S.’s GBI (Ground-Based Interceptor), is classified, estimates range from Mach 16 to Mach 20, which, taking into account the Yars’ speed and the reaction time for detection and targeting would make the Yars practically untouchable.

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US warns Russia and North Korea are close to arms shipment deal

Russia is attempting to replenish its arms stocks from North Korea

Russia and North Korea are “moving forward” in negotiating a possible agreement on the supply of ammunition for weapons systems, including artillery, as Russia races to keep troops supplied in its fight against Ukraine, according to classified information recently revealed by U.S. intelligence.

While Pyongyang denies the allegations, the Biden administration announced Wednesday, Aug. 30, that it remains concerned that the two countries are in arms negotiations. It is believed that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu pushed for more weapons and ammunition for Russia while visiting Pyongyang in July, with additional steps taken since then to secure weapons from North Korea.

In addition, the two countries’ leaders have also exchanged letters “pledging to increase bilateral cooperation.”

“We remain concerned that the DPRK continues to consider providing military support to Russia’s military forces in Ukraine, and we have new information which we are able to share today that arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing,” said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby. “Following these negotiations, high level discussion may continue in coming months.”

The U.S. and EU have long warned countries against supplying weapons to Russia, with China the top target for such warnings due to its advanced military capabilities. China has so far refrained from sending weapons to Russia but has offered other forms of material support and remains a top buyer of Russian resources.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Wednesday accused Russia and North Korea of negotiating an arms deal. She denounced these negotiations, which she says violate UN resolutions approved by Russia, as “shameful”.

This public disclosure of classified information by the Biden administration shows new efforts by Russia to circumvent sanctions imposed on it by the West and to procure weapons for the war in Ukraine. She also warned Pyongyang that Washington is monitoring these efforts.