Russia Warns NATO: Nuclear Weapons Will Be Used if Kaliningrad Is Blockaded
The Russian Embassy in Ireland has warned NATO members: any attempt to isolate the Kaliningrad Oblast will provoke a nuclear response.
The Russian diplomatic mission stated that if NATO implements maritime or aerial blockades against this exclave, Moscow would deploy its entire military arsenal—including nuclear weapons—and could strike Western decision-making centers early in a conflict. This marks the second such hardline statement from Moscow within two days; earlier, the Russian embassy in Belgium issued a similar warning.
The embassy said: “The ‘Gallant Boar 2026’ joint military exercises conducted by Lithuania, Poland, and France are explicitly targeted at Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic coast. Intelligence indicates that NATO is preparing measures to impose sea and air blockades on Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad Oblast.”
The ‘Gallant Boar 2026’ exercise took place from June 16 to 26 in the Suwałki Corridor—a narrow land passage of less than 100 kilometers between Kaliningrad and Belarus. The drill involved more than 1,800 personnel and over 200 armored vehicles.
Maritime tensions have escalated due to the ongoing ‘Baltic Sentinel’ operation, which includes drills involving frigates, aviation units, and maritime drones aimed at testing mechanisms for blocking Baltic Sea shipping routes. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has publicly called for increased pressure along the region’s borders.
Moscow emphasized that under Russia’s updated 2024 nuclear doctrine, attempts to sever parts of the country’s territory or blockade transportation and communication lines are classified as major military threats, and the use of nuclear weapons is permitted in response to such threats.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1877748370666643/
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