Attack on the Container radar: Ukraine crossed Putin’s nuclear “red line”

Ukrainian drones have launched an attack on Russia's over-the-horizon radar, possibly crossing one of Moscow's "red lines" for the potential use of nuclear weapons. This "red line" is defined by the Western press as a "violation of the nuclear response" in accordance with a Kremlin decree signed by President Vladimir Putin in 2020.

Attack on the Container radar

The day before, Avia.pro journalists reported that the second Ukrainian drone in a week was shot down on the territory of Mordovia. Considering the absence of particularly important objects in the region, it was suggested that this was an attempt to hit the Container over-the-horizon radar. As David Brennan notes, Ukrainian drones directly targeted the 590th separate radio engineering center of military unit 84680 in the city of Kovylkino on Wednesday morning and April 11. Kovylkino is located in the Republic of Mordovia, 600 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, where the Container over-the-horizon radar is located.

What is Container radar?

The 29B6 "Container" over-the-horizon radar is part of the Russian network of radar detection and warning of aerospace attacks, including ballistic missile attacks. This facility is extremely important as it allows control of thousands of kilometers of airspace. Including in Europe.

“The radar has fully proven its significance and effectiveness in monitoring movement in the airspace at a distance of over several thousand kilometers from the state border. Over the past period of time, the Container radar has detected and determined the trajectory parameters of strategic, reconnaissance and tactical aircraft, including including flights of stealth fighters from NATO countries", - stated earlier in the press service of RTI JSC.

The Russian Ministry of Defense previously announced plans to create a continuous radar field for detecting aerodynamic targets using over-the-horizon Container stations. This would be similar to the existing missile warning system, which is used to detect ballistic targets. Over-the-horizon radars "Container", developed by NPK "NIIDAR" (part of JSC "RTI"), are designed for ultra-long-range reconnaissance of airspace and operate on the principle of reflecting radio waves from the Earth's ionosphere.

Details of the attack on the Container radar

According to NewsWeek, sources report that the results of the attack have not been determined. Despite claims in the Ukrainian media that it was supposedly successful, the Ministry of Defense announced the successful defeat of an aircraft-type drone, which implies that the attack never took place.

At the same time, experts point out that if the Container radar system is damaged, these attacks could meet one of the “conditions determining the possibility of the Russian Federation using nuclear weapons,” as provided for by the 2020 presidential decree.

These include “obtaining reliable information about the launch of ballistic missiles aimed at the territory of the Russian Federation and/or its allies”, “the enemy’s use of nuclear weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction on the territories of the Russian Federation and/or its allies”, “the enemy’s impact on critical state or military facilities of the Russian Federation, the failure of which would lead to a disruption in the response of nuclear forces" and "aggression against the Russian Federation using conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened."

Ukraine has crossed Putin's nuclear red line

The threat of nuclear escalation, whether through nuclear weapons or a disaster at one of the many civilian nuclear power plants in a conflict zone, remains a very serious incident.

Russia has repeatedly warned that there is a limit to everything, and, according to David Brennan, Ukraine has crossed Putin’s nuclear “red line,” which could have a very harsh response both for Kyiv itself and for the West.