Russia's secret plans targeted Japan and South Korea: Report
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 plans for the attack targeted 160 sites, including military installations, nuclear power plants, and various civilian facilities, to disrupt the "regrouping of forces in operational areas." Documents revealed to the Financial Times by Western sources underline Moscow's concerns about vulnerabilities on its eastern flank, which could face attacks from U.S. and allied regional forces if a conflict with NATO were to occur.
The war in Ukraine: key information in our LIVE REPORT
A collection of 29 secret Russian military documents focusing on training officers for potential conflict on Russia's eastern border from 2008-2014 remains significant for Russian strategy, reports "FT."
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, notes the FT. In addition to increasing its economic reliance on China, Moscow 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 theaters of war are interconnected"
William Alberque, a former NATO arms control official and current expert at the Stimson Center, argued that the documents, along with the recent deployment of North Korean troops, provide definitive evidence of the deep and unavoidable connection between the European and Asian theaters of war.
He stressed that Asia cannot ignore the conflict in Europe, just as Europe must not 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 defenses of its neighbors. For instance, in February 2014, two strategic bombers, Tu-95, conducted a 17-hour flight around South Korea and Japan, prompting both countries' air forces to scramble fighters.
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.
