Since the early days of the Cold War, the US and the rest of the Western world have been watching Russia for early signs of a potential nuclear strike.
While the geopolitical landscape has continued to change over the decades since the Berlin Wall fell, there’s still growing concern that Russia might one day again choose the nuclear option.
Of course, it’s easy to be paranoid, and hard to be sure about this kind of thing.
So, I thought I’d take a closer look at some of the potential signs to watch for if Russia were to strategically move toward launching a nuclear strike.
A Change in Weapons Doctrine
Russia, the US, and NATO all have specific legal criteria about when nuclear devices and weapons of mass destruction can be used.
Some of this is for geopolitical posturing to show off having a big brass pair of plutonium-enriched warheads in hopes of making the West back down.
What We’ve Seen
Russia has recently changed its nuclear policy in hopes of moving the needle in its war against Ukraine. Their doctrine now states that an attack from a non-nuclear state, if backed by an outside nuclear power, will be treated as a joint attack on Russia.
This is certainly a red flag hinting that Russia could be considering a nuclear strike against the West. However, it could just as easily be political posturing.
If Russia was truly planning to launch nukes, they would certainly want to keep it as quiet as possible to lessen the risk of mutually assured destruction.
Related: Russia’s New Generation of Nuclear Weapons Render US Missile Defense Obsolete
To consider just how serious this change in nuclear policy is, I think we need to look deeper at other potential signs.
Strategic Military Mobilization
The sudden movement of nuclear-capable armed forces, and equipment such as missile launchers, submarines, and long-range, high-altitude bombers, is another potential warning sign of an impending Russian nuclear strike.
Historically we saw something like this during the Cuban Missile Crisis, where Russia moved nuclear assets toward Cuba, as well as nearer to NATO countries in Europe.
Now scenarios like this can be a sign of military escalation or simply more geopolitical posturing. However, I think it’s more likely to be a posturing effort if it happens in conjunction with a public change in nuclear policy.
What We’ve Seen
Since making a change in their strategic nuclear policy Russia has started using missile launchers against Ukraine that are capable of carrying a small-yield strategic nuclear device.
These are also missiles that move too fast for Ukrainian missile defense systems to shoot down.
Yet many other nuclear-capable assets in the Russian ground arsenal have been relatively silent. Which on the surface seems nominal.
Still, it’s worth noting that in June of 2024, Russian nuclear subs performed a test in the Pacific. Then in September of 2024, another nuclear-capable submarine made a successful transit under the arctic sea ice.
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Cyber Attacks & Improved Russian Cyber Security
In today’s information age, cyber-attacks are a critical component of any military strategy. This includes things like influencing elections, interrupting international business communications in Western markets, stealing critical information from major banks, and covertly acquiring people’s personal information.
These data and information assets have value in many ways. However, it’s the interruption to business, free market capitalism, and sowing the seeds of distrust in our election process that have the most strategic value for Russia before a nuclear strike.
They create distractions that the ordinary person focuses on, leaving them vulnerable.
Rather than watching out for what’s going on in the world.
Staying safe during such unpredictable threats requires more than just awareness—you need a solid plan.
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In the event a nuclear attack does occur, excess vulnerable individuals will complicate US military relief efforts at home.
At the same time, Russia will try to harden their own cyber security. In hopes of keeping us from interrupting their critical information infrastructure.
What We’ve Seen
Throughout 2023 and 2024 there’s been a steady increase in Russian cyber-attacks on the US military and business infrastructure. We’ve also seen deep fake social media posts that are believed to be traceable back to Russia during the 2024 elections.
Equally concerning is the number of Russian cyber-attacks on NATO member nations and countries near the Russian border. This includes Ukraine, but also countries like Poland and Finland have seen a steady increase in cyber-attacks.
This is especially concerning, as their cyber security is not as hardened as it is here in the US. It could be perceived as an attempt to test what a future attack could do to hamper US allies attempting to retaliate after a future Russian nuclear strike.
Communication Intercepts
In the months leading up to a potential nuclear strike, Russia would undoubtedly try to intercept as many Western military communications as possible. After all, their only hope of pulling off such an attack would also require preventing mutually assured destruction.
For that to be possible, Russia needs to know the location of US, NATO, and other western-allied military assets, as well as how prepared they are for deployment. Without this information, the threat of a Russian nuclear strike is low. With this information in hand, Putin and his strategic advisors could feel emboldened.
What We’ve Seen
It’s hard to know what information Russia may or may not have intercepted or acquired as part of a cyber-attack. Especially since US intelligence agencies aren’t going to release such information if they did.
→ Signs You’re Being Tracked By 3-Letter Agencies
We do know that in the fall of 2023 and 2024, Russian submarines were detected near key undersea communication cables that are sometimes used by the US military. At the same time, officials in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have also noted an increased Russian presence near their undersea cable networks.
An Increase in Military Production
Before any potential nuclear strike, Russia will need to increase its conventional military assets. Even if they were able to pull off a successful first strike without retaliation from the West, they would still need the means to occupy our critical military assets.
Before they could mobilize their army and navy, Russia would first need to build upon what they currently have. This could be a challenge for them, as much of their current military arsenal is left over from the Soviet era and has simply been given a modern facelift.
What We’ve Seen
Russia has indeed been increasing its military production at a pace that has outstripped the US and our NATO allies. However, this is more likely tied to the war in Ukraine, which has gradually turned into a war of attrition.
Ukraine having access to modern military technology from the West has helped them hit hard against Russia’s often outdated military equipment. This has forced Russia to bolster its own arsenal with new models. What they do with that equipment when the war in Ukraine comes to an end is yet to be seen.
Strengthening Ties with Other Foreign Powers
If Russia has any hopes of pulling off a successful nuclear strike against the West, it will need help from other countries.
This is just as much about bolstering their resources as it is insulating themselves from being attacked at home when they’re over-stretched abroad.
The last thing Russia wants is to dump all its resources into taking the US and Western Europe only to have a nation like China make a massive land grab in Eastern Russia.
What We’ve Seen
Throughout 2023 and 2024 we’ve seen Russia strengthening its ties with other nations like China, Iran, and North Korea. While these are nations that are already hostile toward the West to some degree, it is somewhat alarming to see them making such an active effort.
With the high risk of mutually assured destruction, Russia seems unlikely to attempt a nuclear strike against the US and NATO any time soon. Many of the signs I mentioned above could be written off as side effects of their war with Ukraine, or in response to strong US economic sanctions.
There’s also the very real potential that these warning signs are Russia testing the West’s capabilities. Not necessarily that they intend to act, but wanting to keep their finger on our pulse should a worst-case scenario fall on their doorstep.
While this isn’t the time to run around screaming that the sky is falling, it’s still a wise move to be as prepared as possible, should there ever be a Russian nuclear strike on US soil.
Being prepared for worst-case scenarios means taking action now, rather than waiting until it’s too late. One of the best ways to prepare is to ensure you have a safe, secure place to shelter your family in the event of a nuclear strike.
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Fear is not of God , Man shall Reep what ever they sow and the end will be as God has said
in the days of Noah , so shall it be in the end , we now have the ability to destroy or target with out delay , anyone, anything, and anywhere in the world
It is a Matter of Time .
Only , and I Mean Only the one who holds back evil can Do so . That is the one and only Holy , just , Loving God . There is only ONE , and The only Access To Him is Thru Prayer , Relationship of Love and Forgiveness Thru Jesus Christ and the Sacrafice on the Cross for Sin.
God is NOT Dead and Does not forget , but He who is faithful FORGIVES right upto death
1st death , then the second death is for all who choose Evil and follow thier own way , passion , pleasure , desires
Run From Evil , Seek Truth , Believe in the only one to give salvation .
Prophecy will be completed as the scriptures tell , and outline . NO man can change this .
as Revelation states Mankind will destroy himself and those who will not follow, worship, give praise, hommige to the system of IDOLOTRY , fake , false religeon , fake false God s, of self and Mankind
Jesus Gave Clear vision and understanding to those who want and seek it out .
Whole books of new testimate , revelations and old testimate tell of End .
Yes , Russia will Launch , but not untill all have been given chances to repent, change direction , come clean , confess thier evil and let God , Jesus Christ have Place in thier life
The one hold evil back must be taken thru rapture for this to happen , not untill
Judgement is for evil and those who choose evil .
Great words of truth, Christopher, though I might dissagree with the sentence portion: “No man can change this.”
I believe we can all affect change, in our day to day decisions, in all things, great or small. The old testament story of Jonah and Ninevah proves that God can change His mind, and does sometimes.
I concede that it does not appear like enough will affect this change on time, but I wish not to remove all hope, in our efforts. The prophesies you quote, will in fact, come true, but I believe we still have some influence, in their scaled measure, worldwide, if enough of us repent and start doing what is just. Peace!
I have family that lives very near to Ukraine in SE Poland. The refugees that stayed with them, all Polish speaking, left quite a while ago to return to Ukraine because the war is over for them. Russia is rebuilding. A member of the Polish government just announced that half the money the US sends to Ukraine is laundered to Democrats. Russia is not the issue, it is our own government.
Come on, you’re better than this, you’re letting the enemy frame the argument and you’re gobbling it up like a hungry hippo. Noone is making Putin do anything or forcing him into a corner. Putin is the aggressor in Ukraine, it’s all him, don’t listen to the apologists.
Our greatest enemy is not within, get some perspective, get a grip and get over yourself … or if you hate freedom and love Russia so much, perhaps you should move there.
Interesting that Russia and Ukraine were not at war before the political meddling from Tunisia to Ukraine by the Obama administration.
Putin is most certainly not the “aggressor” in Ukraine, any more than Kennedy was the “aggressor” in Cuba. In both cases, a great nation was faced with the prospect of their enemy making a military alliance with a nation right next door to them, and stationing nuclear missiles there.
America didn’t put up with it, and lucklily, the Soviets backed down
Russia didn’t put up with it either, but sadly for all of us, the reckless and irresponsible criminals running DC doubled down on their garbage. And part of the reason for that is they have blindly gullible dupes like YOU, who believe every word that comes from their TeeVee.
No, dumbkopf, I don’t hate freedom. But that’s not what we have here anymore. American citizens have been held prisoner for years simply for walking into “our” capitol in January of 2021. We have also been fired for refusing death jabs touted as “vaccines”, and doxxed and vilified for not wanting deviants to be teaching our children. NONE of that was done by the Russians, it was done to us by the criminals who rule over us
Good lord… you’re on a survival website. How long do you think someone as gullible as you will survive?
Yes, I agree. Could I suggest folks watch an interview by Tucker Carlson with Jeffrey Sachs on Tucker Carlson’s YouTube channel — while it is still there. Sachs was there when Yeltsin dissolved the Soviet Union and declared that they had enough of communism and wanted normal relations with the EU and America. Sachs described how the “NeoCons” at that time wouldn’t have a bar of it, did not want normal relations with Russia. (Keep in mind it was the NeoCons who did not want peace, not the American people.) He goes through the history of that time right up to present time — including the Ukraine conflict and how the US tried to impose NATO membership on them So the Ukrainians elected Yanakovich who promised to keep Ukraine out of NATO. So the CIA initiated a coup in 2014 that removed Yanacovich and replaced him with a NeoCon friendly puppet who would sign up to NATO and allow a US military base. That coup was initiated by the Maidan Massacre and is basically when the “war” started. Sachs goes into much more depth, including the personalities involved — especially US politicians. The ethnic cleansing of Russian speaking Ukrainians in East Ukraine by West Ukrainian n*z* types as mentioned by others here is also valid, and continues to this day. That N*z* influence is the result of West Ukraine being part of Poland during WWII and some of those Ukrainians (now known as Bandarites – named after their leader) colluding with the N*z*s and participating in the massacre of 50,000 Jewish Ukrainians. In recent times the descendants of those Bandarites train in military units such as the Azov Battalion, and even have their own H*tl** Youth Groups, who often made the front pages of Europes major newspapers prior to February 2014. There were even YouTube videos of them. It can all be very confusing unless one studies the history. It is not as simple as the main stream media makes it out to be, and the response of Russia to the mess in Ukraine is definitely NOT unprovoked.
I disagree. I don’t think we’ll see nuclear war in our lifetimes. Nuclear war isn’t profitable enough and there’s too much collateral damage. NATO and the West would rather keep these “forever conventional wars” going as long as possible to continue raking in their obscene profits as long as possible. It’s all smoke and mirrors. And for those saying that Putin is the aggressor, he isn’t. He was forced into this situation by NATO and the CIA. This “military action” currently going on between Ukraine and Russia started in 2014 by a CIA led coup that deposed the legitimately elected government of the time and installed a puppet regime more sympathetic to the West. Controlled by the West. Between then and when Putin finally decided to move against Ukraine, Ukraine had killed over 50,000 people in eastern Ukraine that identified as Russian. Putin couldn’t let this keep on going any longer. The decision to finally enter Ukraine couldn’t have been an easy one for him as he realized what the response from the West would be. The people in eastern Ukraine had begged him for help and he just couldn’t stand by any longer and let it keep on happening. He was manipulated by the West to finally invade Ukraine because the arms manufacturers and those in the US government like Pelosi and Graham, heavily invested in the arms industry, weren’t making enough profits. War is ALWAYS about money, backed by the corrupt banking sector. It’s never about honour or love of country,etc. It’s always about money. War is VERY profitable for those with the right connections.
If Russia was truly planning to launch nukes, they would certainly want to keep it as quiet as possible to lessen the risk of mutually assured destruction.
Threat was a deterrent.
But do NOT rule it out!
If Putin is backed into a corner with nothing else left, he WILL use nukes. He would have nothing lose in doing so. He would figure if he is going down he will take as many with him as he can in the process.
Putin is facing war crimes. He certainly is in for a penny, in for a pound.
Anticipated targets by him may not be the real ones. Anticipated ones would be well protected.
So, expect a lot of collateral damage before he goes down.
Enough to provide nearly the same result as if he hit a prime target.
Exactly. Any warning would negate the first strike capabilities advantage.
Putin is not facing “war crimes”. The tyrant Zelensky caused this war by trying to join NATO and get nuclear missiles stationed in Ukraine. Putin could no more allow Nuclear missiles on the very border of Russia anymore than we would allow Russian missiles to be placed in Mexico.
As far as “Putin going down” oh dear lord, please tell me you’re not that blind. RUSSIA IS WINNING. And what’s more, they are in the right here. The territories being fought over — Donbas and Crimea especially– are over 80% RUSSIAN. They were taken from Russia and given to Ukraine during the Soviet era, by communist tyrants who had no right to do this.
Good GOD, you’re on a survival website, but your chances of surviving are virtually zero. The blind and gullible are always the first ones to perish
It is weird that Putin waited until democrats were in power to make such a aggressive move on it’s neighbors.Of course the democrats have their fingers in the pie of the military complexes.It’s going to bite them one of these day’s.The communist in the U.S.A. will never stop until their job is done.We the people cannot take a break. We need to keep learning and what really the Bible is trying to tell us.We have alot to learn and understand. If you think you know all the answers….you just stopped learning…you are now stuck at that level….you can go higher…one foot at a time….then when you fall….fall forward. Good luck and live in the present….The Kingdom of Heaven is within….Luke
The kingdom of heaven awaits, the rapture (harpodzo, Latan rapturo) is all we are waiting on! 😁
Nukes are a hoax to keep you afraid and controlled by the governments.
Don’t fall for the scam.
Nukes are a hoax to keep you afraid and controlled by the governments.
Don’t fall for the scam.
Maybe everything will be false flag event… Those puppets currently in power will do anything to stay in power.
They don’t care about you, I, or even their own countries… They proved that with 911 where they are willing to sacrifice their own people to destabilise countries, and what for… Resources, the military industrial companies, to overthrow governments that aren’t playing ball, to get rid of that countries central bank to install a globalist central bank, they’ve gone against the petrodollar, they’ve outlived their usefulness etc, etc… The list is endless but at the end of the day, it’s either to make more money, get more power or to take away our freedoms.
Russia isn’t the enemy as we’ve been brainwashed to believe, it’s the western governments that are the enemy… You just need to wake up and realise that.
Remember, nobody is allowed in power unless they are controlled, it’s all a big pantomime with many distractions.
Who causes the divisions, our governments with the help of the MSM. Divide and conquer, that is how they stay in power and tell us who the enemy is.
All it takes is a little research because they don’t hide it… They just call you a tin foil hat wearing conspiracy theorist.
Russia has been the enemy for decades, that hasn’t changed just because trump swallows Putin’s jizz.
Putin is an elected leader of a united Russia that is solidly behind him. Because they know that Crimea and Donbass are overwhelmingly Russian, and always have been.
Zelensky is a tyrant who has cancelled elections. he has no right to be “President” of Ukraine, or anywhere else for that matter. And hey, newsflash, fool: COMMUNISM CRUMBLED over 30 years ago! Russia is no more the enemy of America than Germany is, or Japan.
Just because greedy war pigs right here in America want to start a war because they want to break up Russia and steal all their resources doesn’t make Russia “the enemy”. Except to mouth breathers who blindly believe everything their TeeVee tells them to.
@Lisa L Blake I never mentioned Trump, you did. Everything is a circus act to control us.
Why is Putin the enemy? Because we’re told he is after years of brainwashing that Russia is the enemy makes it more believable.
Up until the start of hostilities in Ukraine, Ukraine was well known for being the most corrupt country in the world… Yet now it’s the saviour of the ‘free’ world.
In 2014 there was a coup in Ukraine backed by the US government.
At the end of the cold War, NATO promised they wouldn’t expand close to Russian borders… Yet that’s all they’ve done.
Why do you think when Putin ‘invaded’ the western governments banned all forms of Russian based news and TV?
Putin could of easily steam rolled Ukraine but he was protecting the Russian speaking population who had been constantly attacked/bombed/massacred since the 2014 coup.
Open your eyes and start to question everything, all you need is to see one lie that you’ve been led to believe for years isn’t possible… Like phoning the president from the moon on a landline in 1969, how was that possible with that technology at the time? I served for 20 years and we could hardly get a good reception with our comms equipment 5 miles away and that was over 40 years after the moon landing.
Yes you can call a landline now from a mobile phone, but they are on the same network with masts everywhere.
So you hate Trump, and that is blinding your judgement, I don’t think he’s the saviour that everyone is making him out to be for the simple fact I question everything and do my research. Only time will tell. But surely you can’t want a repeat of the last 4 years???
I live in the UK and we’ve now got a useless dictatorship government that is blatantly obvious not for the people and are determined to destroy the country. .. Yet they don’t care because they are doing the bidding of their puppet masters.
It’s all about power and control.
Hear, hear!
I keep asking all the mouth breathers: why would you support a tyrant like Zelensky? And after they have their little hissy fit, a few of them demand to know how I could say such a thing. Well then, I point out that Zelensky canceled elections for the Ukraine parliament over a year ago, and he cancelled Presidential elections last May. He’s not the “President” of Ukraine, he is a TYRANT. He cancelled elections because that’s what tyrants do. They don’t want to face the will of the people.
Every so often, I will the light dawning, and one of these folks will say “heck, I did not know that!” To which I respond “Turn off your TeeVee!” Sadly, most of them just rant and rave spew venom and talking points and bumper sticker slogans. Including the dopes right here, on a SURVIVAL site of all things. Whats the odds of the likes of them surviving anything when they’re so gullible?
Really it is written” for , behold , the kingdom of God is within you” …..I’m bad. If you want to read it yourself .LUKE 17: 20-21 To me it’s a clue to where you should start looking . P.S. Nukes are no hoax. Could be a clue to why your here on Earth and what you should be looking for……..in this noisy world.
We will all have to see how much jizz trump swallows of Putin’s knob. None of the MAGA Maggots ever thought that “gee, Putin is America’s enemy.” They just thought they loved their orange racist savior, now we are in this mess.
I’m sure the right wingers on the site will love the high prices of everything due to the tariffs the orange idiots plan on placing on everyone. But typically, the right votes against their own interests.
Good luck, maybe this country needs a good nuclear bomb to clean up this country so we can start over.
who do you mean by “we”? TeeVee slobbering blockheads like you will not survive
Putin is not America’s enemy, because hate filled bigots like you do not speak for America, only for yourself.
I would go on to explain to you at greater length, or even suggest some reading you could do. Sadly, none of it has any pictures that pop up, so you won’t be ale to manage
You seem to have quite the knowledge about jizz swallowing, it seem you have swallowed mostly demoncrap jizz!
Ya…Lisa is the evil twin of this site….keeps maga on it’s toes….patience grasshopper. She needs to vent ….I’m okay with it…as long as i can vent also. Just don’t let her near a nuke……
There’s also a friendly Lisa out their somewhere…probably pulling her hair out.
As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.
PS also fwiw, only a truly sick evil monster would wish for a “good nuclear bomb”. Look, we all get it: you’re shriek at the sky ANGWY because Willie Brown’s finger puppet spent a billion dollars, and still got curb stomped. So fine: go find your little safe space, and get out your crayons. Just use them to draw this time, not as snacks
Russia is at war with the west because they can’t be controlled by the WEF.
As a sovereign nation, why should Russia have to yield control to the WEF if they don’t accept their “deals”. Russia traded peacefully with Ukraine and Europe, who exactly is bringing the instability to Europe, I seriously doubt that Russia would ruin its economy, just for giggles.
In reality, when you see Russia evacuating their cities, then you know nuke war is imminent and will have 4–5 days to make a decision.
In reality, when you see Russia evacuating their cities, then you know nuke war is imminent and will have 4–5 days to make a decision. Remember, it does not have to be a serious volley, as only 6/9 points on the grid need to be destroyed to shut down the grid altogether…No electricity for 2 years minimum, as this is how long it would take to replace the substations lost. In the meantime, 70% of the population would die in the first 90 days,90% within a year what’s left who knows, but it won’t be pretty for any survivors.
Russia is still using old analog technology, so their grid is not threatened like ours, from what i understand.
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Only on Ask A Prepper, jissom vs Jesus…