ATACMS strikes on Russia don’t raise risk of nuclear war, but Moscow may escalate sabotage in Europe — Reuters
U.S. intelligence assessments suggest that Washington's decision to lift restrictions on the use of ATACMS missiles for strikes on Russian territory has not increased the risk of nuclear war, despite Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Recent U.S. intelligence projections on how Moscow might respond indicate that Russia is unlikely to resort to nuclear weapons. Analysts determined that a nuclear response would provide no clear military advantage.
According to Reuters sources, Russia views nuclear weapons as a last resort and is more likely to escalate through other means, such as sabotage and cyberattacks — tactics it has employed in the past. Following the U.S. policy shift on ATACMS, intelligence officials believe Moscow may step up sabotage activities in Europe in an attempt to intimidate Ukraine’s allies.
One immediate response to what Moscow perceives as U.S. escalation, a Reuters source noted, was a Russian missile strike on Dnipro, reportedly carried out with a new ballistic missile.
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