Russia’s embassy in London has threatened Britain and Nato with nuclear retaliation if military action is taken against Kaliningrad, following a fictional conflict scenario shown in Sky’s programme The Wargame.
The warning was published on the embassy’s social media channels after the programme depicted a Russian attack on the UK. The scenario featured former Cabinet ministers Michael Gove and Dame Penny Mordaunt, as well as former British ambassador to the US Kim Darroch.
In the dramatised crisis, Mr Gove played the Prime Minister and ordered retaliatory strikes against Murmansk and Kaliningrad.
Murmansk is home to Russia’s Northern Fleet, while Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave situated between Nato members Poland and Lithuania. The territory has been identified as a possible launch site for Russian nuclear missiles.
In a post on Telegram, the Russian embassy said: “Those advocating plans to blockade or strike Kaliningrad should have no illusions about the consequences.
“Any British or NATO military action against Russian territory would be met with a response using all means at Russia’s disposal, including nuclear weapons.
“Russia has repeatedly made clear that it neither seeks confrontation with NATO and Europe nor intends to attack them. But should anyone choose to unleash such a conflict, they must be under no illusion that Russia will respond accordingly.”
The embassy also referred to commentary describing Kaliningrad as Vladimir Putin’s “greatest weakness”. One former Nato official said Russia “knows it’s a vulnerability”, while a security analyst called the territory “the Achilles Heel of the Russian Federation”.
Poland and Lithuania prepare for a possible conflict
Kaliningrad is also seen as a potential weakness for Nato because of its position near the Suwalki Gap, a roughly 60-mile stretch of border between Poland and Lithuania.
Poland and Lithuania are developing evacuation plans for civilians in the event of a full-scale war with Russia. The proposed arrangements include procedures, logistics, infrastructure and evacuation routes through the corridor, which links Belarus, a Moscow ally, with Kaliningrad.
Nato commanders fear Russia could attempt to send forces from Belarus across the gap to Kaliningrad, potentially cutting Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania off from allies in central and western Europe.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre, said the two countries were analysing “procedures, logistics, and infrastructure capabilities” and would develop the plan once a bilateral agreement had been reached.
Lithuania has launched nationwide exercises, including evacuation drills near its border with Poland. About 3,000 officials and 1,000 volunteers are taking part, with around 20 Polish officials sent to Lithuania to help test border procedures.
The plans are also considering border controls in a crisis, including measures to support mobilisation and prevent people in key roles from leaving the country. Exercises are due to continue until October 2.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said earlier this month that intelligence assessments indicated Russian plans for hybrid strikes using drones and missiles against countries supporting Ukraine, including Poland. He described the alleged provocations as “far more dangerous than those we have faced so far”.
Russia is suspected of involvement in covert attacks on several sites in Nato countries, including a warehouse in Britain, a weapons factory in Estonia and an airport in Germany.
