Vladimir Putin’s top spokesman has reacted furiously after Estonia said it was open to hosting RAF warplanes with nuclear capability – while one Kremlin mouthpiece said the move would ‘end badly’
Russia has issued a new threat to NATO after one of Britain’s allies said it was ‘ready’ to host RAF warplanes capable of carrying tactical nuclear bombs.
In the security defence review unveiled this week by Keir Starmer, it was announced the RAF will be equipped with twelve new F-35A fifth-generation aircraft by 2030, which will be “available to fly NATO’s nuclear mission in a crisis”. Estonia’s defence minister Hanno Pevkur said today that his country would “naturally” be prepared to host some of the jets – sparking a furious reaction from Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, who was asked by Russian media if such a move would be perceived as a threat to Moscow.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s top press secretary, said: “A direct one. Of course… a direct danger.” Estonia is a NATO member and shares a 183-mile land border with Russia, and around 1,000 British troops are permanently based in the Baltic state.
Peskov added: “The leaders of the Baltic countries express a lot of absurd ideas. One can only express regret, that’s all.”
Russia’s extensive propaganda operation has also honed in on the Estonian minister’s comments, and even appeared to threaten the country with invasion. One presenter from Kremlin-linked Tsargrad TV warned: “It’s strange that Tallinn doesn’t grasp the obvious.
“Such moves near Russia’s borders end very badly. And there’s no need to look far for an example — just look at where such ‘games’ have led Ukraine.”
Pro-Kremlin military blogger Aleksei Zhivov warned an F‑35A deployment could trigger war, accusing Estonia and NATO of inciting Putin.
He said: “Given that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are located uncomfortably close to Russia’s most important regions, this poses an existential threat to our country”
“This should be viewed appropriately — as part of Europe’s preparations for a major war with Russia. At some point, the Baltics’ task will be to provoke Russia into launching a military operation in the region.”
Peskov was speaking in Belarus, a Russian ally which borders Baltic states Lithuania and Latvia, and also another NATO state Poland. Belarus has been supplied with nuclear weapons by Putin.
A dozen new RAF F‑35A fighters capable of carrying US B61‑12 nuclear gravity bombs are scheduled to enter service by 2030 at RAF Marham in Norfolk – but there has been no suggestion that they would be based in Estonia.
Britain’s existing F-35 jets have previously been sent on short rotational deployments to Estonia for “NATO enhanced Vigilance Activity”, but are not based there permanently.
Suggesting today that he would be open to hosting newer versions of the planes with enhanced nuclear capability, Estonia’s Hanno Pevkur said: “F-35s have already been in Estonia, and will soon return as part of the rotational mission.
“If some of them, regardless of the country, also have dual-use nuclear weapons capability, this does not change our position on hosting the F-35. Of course, we are ready to host allies.”