Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Russians move 2 SS-21 Tactical Nuke Ballistic Missile Launchers into South Ossetia




Col. Sam Gardiner notes, in an interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now, Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons to South Ossetia. The SS-21 Missile launchers are relatively weak compared to bombs that have already been used against Georgia by the Russian air force. However, this move does indicate Russia is potentially upping the game from a conventional weapons war to a tactical nuclear weapons war. Gardiner notes that at a news conference on Sunday, the US Deputy National Security advisor has noted these weapons arriving in South Ossetia.

Business Wire confirms the subject matter of the news briefing in Beijing. Link

IPRI says to Sweden's TV4 that they believe this is a Russian SS-21 (OTR-21) missile believed to have been used to deploy cluster munitions by the way the missile now looks. Likely shot from abkhazia into the port city P'ot'i.

Американские спутники-шпионы, как говорится в сюжете телекомпании CNN, зафиксировали переброску в Южную Осетию следующего российского контингента: от восьми до десяти тысяч военнослужащих, 150 танков Т-72 и Т-62, более 300 бронемашин, 100 единиц артиллерии. По данным США, российские войска, начиная с 8 августа, запустили по позициям противника более 15 ракет малого радиуса действия с установок SS-21 (так в западной классификации обозначается российский оперативно-тактический ракетный комплекс "Точка").

Up to 2000 Killed as Russia-Georgia Fighting Enters Fourth Day
Democracy Now, NY - 17 hours ago
... national security adviser said we have noted that the Russians have introduced two SS-21 medium-range ballistic missile launchers into South Ossetia. ...


Press Briefing by Press Secretary Dana Perino and Senior Director ...
MarketWatch - Aug 10, 2008
... the President was informed immediately on Friday, when we received news of the first two SS-21 Russian missile launchers into Georgian territory. ...

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