Russia has made new threats to use its Satan-2 hypersonic missile to strike Britain in just "200 seconds". The warning from Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Aleksey Zhuravlyov comes as Finland is ready to join NATO and Sweden is determined to follow suit.
"If Finland wants to join this bloc, then our goal is absolutely legitimate, to question the existence of this country. This is logical ", said Zhuravlyov in an interview for state TV Russia 1, writes The Independent.
"If the United States threatens our country, no problem: here is Sarmat (known as Satan-2) and there will be nuclear ashes from you if you think Russia should not exist. And Finland says it is with the US. Well, get in line. ”
Last month Russia tested its new intercontinental ballistic missile, the Sarmat, also known as Satan 2.
Asked if Russia would now land nuclear weapons on its border with Finland, he said: "For what? We do not need. We can strike with a Sarmat from Siberia and even reach the UK. And if we hit from Kaliningrad… the time to reach the hypersonic is 200 seconds, so go on… “
"At the Finnish border we will not have strategic weapons, but Kinzhal weapons, which would reach Finland in 20 seconds, or even 10 seconds."
Russia has expressed dissatisfaction with Finland's intention to join NATO and said it would take "retaliatory steps", both military-technical and other, in order to stem the growing threat to its national security.
Zhuravlyov claimed that Finland was being provoked to join NATO by the US and Great Britain.
"The Finns have nothing to share with us. They get more than 90 percent gas, timber and much more from us. Who needs to fight first? The Finns? They are not afraid that Russia is attacking them. Of course, sooner or later Americans will force them to do so. Just as they forced Ukraine to do so, they are trying to force Poland and Romania. And, as practice shows, they succeed. ”
Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Moscow would take appropriate precautions if NATO deploys nuclear forces and infrastructure closer to Russia's border, according to the RIA news agency. He added that Moscow has no hostile intentions towards Finland and Sweden and sees no "real" reason for the two countries to join the NATO alliance.
In an interview with many comments and labels, Zhuravlyov also claimed that St. Petersburg, Putin's hometown, could be NATO's first target in a war with Russia, adding that the US "will do everything possible to started the Third World War. "
"They [the US] will be able to attribute all the problems they have to the war, as they did in World War I and World War II. They came out of their crisis only thanks to the war in Europe. But there is a big risk: who guarantees that nuclear missiles will not fly? I do not guarantee this. "
Russian energy supplier RAO Nordic says it will suspend electricity deliveries to Finland from Saturday, citing payment problems as tensions between the two countries rise. The Finnish grid operator said Russia provided only a small percentage of the country's electricity and that it could be replaced by alternative sources.
Fingrid said he did not expect electricity shortages as a result of the closure, as only about 10% of Finland's electricity is supplied by Russia.