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A U.S. plane designed to track nuclear testing in the atmosphere flew close to Russian nuclear bases in the northwest of the country on Tuesday, according to flight data and reports.
The WC-135R aircraft took off from RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, traveled north along the Norwegian coast, circled around the Barents Sea, and returned almost 14 hours later. The call sign for this flight was COBRA29.
This action has raised tensions, given Russia’s recent assertion that it no longer sees itself limited by restrictions on nuclear and conventional missiles.
Russia’s Murmansk region borders NATO members Norway and Finland, and it is home to several naval and strategic air bases, including those of the Northern Fleet. The Northern Fleet plays a significant role in Russia’s nuclear arsenal.
The WC-135R, also known as Constant Phoenix, can detect radioactive “clouds” in real time. Analysts believe this flight may indicate that Russia might soon test its 9M730 Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile at the Novaya Zemlya launch site.
Historically, most nuclear tests have been underground due to the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963. Moscow’s last nuclear test was in late 1990.
Russia has stated that it will not be bound by now-defunct limits on U.S. and Russian short-range and intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles, which can carry nuclear weapons.
In 1987, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty banned missiles with ranges between 500 to 5,500 kilometers. The U.S. formally withdrew from this treaty in mid-2019, accusing Russia of breaching it.
Both sides have now deployed weapons that would have been banned under the INF Treaty if it were still in effect. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and current U.S. President Donald Trump are involved in a social media dispute about nuclear rhetoric.
The Kremlin warned against such nuclear rhetoric, cautioning everyone to be very careful.
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What was the primary route taken by the WC-135R aircraft during its flight on Tuesday?
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