Other Western analysts, though, were more hesitant and said that Ukraine should avoid striking Russia’s nuclear infrastructure.
“Not a wise decision on the part of Ukraine,” said Hans Kristensen, a nuclear arsenal expert at the Federation of American Scientists. “Bombers and military sites in general are different because they’re used to attack Ukraine.”
Thord Are Iversen, a Norwegian military analyst, said striking a part of Russia’s nuclear warning system was “not a particularly good idea… especially in times of tension.”
“It’s in everyone’s best interest that Russia’s ballistic missile warning system works well,” he said.
The Kremlin views its nuclear military facilities as prestige projects and striking them is considered particularly provocative.
One of Russia’s most modern radar systems, the Kremlin has deployed 10 Voronezh class installations along the Russian border. Each has a range of around 4,000 miles and can track 500 objects simultaneously.