Footage of a massive freight train carrying specialist military equipment associated with Russia’s Defence Ministry’s nuclear-weapons division has been spotted on the move, raising fears of an escalation in the conflict from President Vladimir Putin’s forces, according to media reports.
According to the Daily Mail, a series of BPM-97 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and other military vehicles were seen travelling through central Russia in a clip posted on the Telegram messaging app by pro-Russian channel Rybar on Sunday.
The APCs are believed to have been upgraded with more capable turrets, reinforced ambush and mine-resistant armour, and an air purification system to allow its occupants to operate effectively in the face of sustained infantry attacks.
Such advanced military hardware, the likes of which have rarely been seen on the frontlines in Ukraine, is said to be the property of the Russian Ministry of Defense’s 12th Main Directorate.
According to the Daily Mail, this specialised division is dedicated to the storage, maintenance, and provision of weapons to the Strategic Rocket Forces, a Russian military branch that controls nuclear missiles and is a key component of Putin’s nuclear programme.
According to military analyst Konrad Musyka, the deployment of such units could signal an impending escalation in the conflict from Russia’s warmongering president or serve as a precursor to large-scale nuclear drills.
It comes as NATO has warned member states that Russia’s cutting-edge Belgorod nuclear submarine has left its White Sea base, and key Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov has said Russia’s military should use “low-yield nuclear weapons” to turn the tide in Ukraine, according to the Daily Mail.
The movement of heavy military hardware belonging to nuclear-wielding units, according to Muzyka, does not necessarily imply that Russia is preparing to deploy a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.
He did, however, speculate that it could be a’sign to the West that Moscow is escalating’ the conflict, noting that Russia’s Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN) are known to conduct extensive training drills in autumn.
According to the Daily Mail, the RVSN is a branch of Russia’s armed forces that is a cornerstone of the country’s nuclear defence and deterrence programme, which is the largest and most advanced in the world.
It is composed of dozens of missile regiments that control thousands of nuclear-capable weapons, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and are in charge of the maintenance and protection of their launch facilities.
