General Vladimir Kulishov, First Deputy Director and Head of Russia’s Federal Security Service’s (FSB) Border Service, has accused NATO of gearing up for potential nuclear strikes on Russian soil.
Kulishov’s accusations come amidst mounting tensions between the Kremlin and the Western military alliance, fueling concerns of a new Cold War era.
Speaking exclusively to state-run Ria Novosti on the occasion of Russia’s “Border Guard Day,” General Kulishov outlined NATO’s purportedly aggressive maneuvers near Russian borders. He alleged a surge in reconnaissance activities and intensified combat training by NATO troops, including drills that simulate nuclear strikes against Russia.
“The situation requires taking appropriate steps to protect and secure our borders,” Kulishov emphasized, underscoring Russia’s perceived need for defensive measures in response to NATO’s alleged provocations.
These accusations follow a recent directive by Russian President Vladimir Putin, instructing the military to conduct exercises involving the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. Moscow cited perceived threats from the West as justification for these maneuvers, raising alarm bells across the international community.
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Adding to the escalating situation, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, on May 26, issued a chilling warning to the US and Poland, asserting that if the USA destroyed Russian positions in Ukraine, it would start a “World War.”
This stern message came in response to remarks by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who purportedly suggested, “The Americans have told the Russians that if you explode a nuke, even if it doesn’t kill anybody, we will hit all your targets [positions] in Ukraine with conventional weapons, we’ll destroy all of them.”
Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, wrote on X, “The Polish counterpart of a weird, outlandish creature called [Secretary of State Antony] Blinken, with a much more sonorous surname Sikorski, apparently, has decided to scare his own masters. He has stated: ‘The Americans have told the Russians that if you explode a nuke, even if it doesn’t kill anybody, we will hit all your targets [positions] in Ukraine with conventional weapons, we’ll destroy all of them.”
He expressed skepticism about the US making such a commitment and warned that if they indeed did, it might escalate into armed conflict.
“First, the Yankees so far haven’t said anything exactly like that because they are more cautious than the Polacks. Second, Americans hitting our targets means starting a world war, and a foreign minister, even of a country like Poland, should understand that. And third, considering that yet another Polack, [President Andrzej] Duda, has recently announced the wish to deploy TNW [thermonuclear weapons] in Poland, Warsaw won’t be left out and will surely get its share of radioactive ash. Is it what you really want? The Polish are resentful; have been like that for over 400 years,” he added.
NATO’s Aggressive Rhetoric
The FSB intelligence chief also highlighted the escalating challenges faced by Russian border guards in defending against infiltration attempts by what he termed “Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups” in the Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod Regions as well as the Crimean Republic.
Kulishov disclosed that in the preceding year of 2023, Russian security forces had successfully prevented over 5,500 attempts to breach Russian territory, citing involvement from “international terrorist and extremist organizations,” along with what he described as “special services and armed formations of Ukraine.”
Moreover, Kulishov noted a concerning trend of increased missile and artillery strikes targeting Russian territory, accompanied by intensified drone attacks on critical infrastructure sectors like military installations, transportation networks, energy facilities, and social infrastructure.
These remarks from the FSB chief come on the heels of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s call for Western nations to ease restrictions on providing long-range weapons to Ukraine.
Stoltenberg’s appeal prompted a strong reaction from Russian officials, with Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov accusing NATO of engaging in “military rhetoric” and exacerbating tensions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized Stoltenberg for overstepping his authority and meddling in internal affairs, particularly regarding statements advocating expanded arms support to Ukraine.
Lavrov pointed out the internal divisions within NATO itself, referencing Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani’s caution against Ukraine using Western weapons outside its territory.
Moreover, reports of French President Emmanuel Macron’s contemplation of direct intervention in the Ukrainian conflict and German media’s speculations about potential troop deployments from Baltic countries and Poland to Ukraine have further fueled tensions.
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