Russia's secret plans: Strikes on Japan and Korea revealed
Russia was preparing officers for attacks on Japan and South Korea, according to secret military documents from 2013-2014 obtained by "The Financial Times". A detailed plan for strikes on military and civilian targets was even developed.
The attack plans included 160 targets, encompassing military sites, nuclear power plants, and other civilian facilities. They were intended to prevent the "regrouping of forces in operational areas." The documents, shown to the "FT" by Western sources, highlight Moscow's concerns about the eastern flank, potentially vulnerable to attacks from US and regional ally forces in the event of a war with NATO.
The war in Ukraine: Key information in our live report
According to the FT, a collection of 29 secret Russian military documents from 2008 to 2014 that focus on training officers for potential conflict on Russia's eastern border remain significant for Russian strategy.
The FT notes that Asia has become a critical element of Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy for pursuing a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and his broader stance towards NATO. In addition to increasing its economic reliance on China, Moscow has recruited 12,000 soldiers from North Korea to fight in Ukraine while strengthening Pyongyang economically and militarily. After launching an experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine in November, Putin stated that the regional conflict in Ukraine has acquired global elements.
"The European and Asian theatres of war are interconnected"
William Alberque, a former NATO arms control official and now an expert at the Stimson Centre, said these documents and the recent deployment of North Korean troops prove once and for all that the European and Asian theatres of war are directly and inextricably linked.
He emphasized that Asia cannot ignore the conflict in Europe, just as Europe cannot remain passive if a war erupts in Asia.
Belief in the effectiveness of the Kh-101
The list of targets for Japan and South Korea was part of a presentation aimed at explaining the capabilities of the Kh-101 cruise missile.
One scenario envisioned destroying, for example, the Okushirito base using 12 Kh-101 cruise missiles, expected to have an 85% effectiveness rate. However, in real combat conditions, these missiles proved less effective.
The documents also reveal how Russia tested the defences of its neighbours. For instance, in February 2014, two strategic bombers, Tu-95, conducted a 17-hour flight around South Korea and Japan, provoking both countries' air forces to scramble fighters (GMT).
As noted by "FT," the route taken by the Tu-95 bombers at that time is almost identical to that of two Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft earlier this year when they circled Japan as part of strategic exercises in the Pacific.
