State Duma Defence Committee member Andrey Kolesnik said that a nuclear exchange between CSTO countries and Europe would have catastrophic consequences for the continent.
He argued that many European capitals could disappear from the map. At the same time, Kolesnik stressed that Russia is trying to prevent a nuclear confrontation.
According to him, Europe would face several major vulnerabilities in the event of escalation. He pointed to Russia’s large nuclear arsenal, the short missile flight time to EU territory and the capabilities of Russian hypersonic systems.
Kolesnik also cited Europe’s high population density as an additional risk, saying that casualties could reach hundreds of millions.
Earlier, Russia’s permanent representative to the CSTO, Viktor Vasilyev, said the organisation’s collective security strategy and Russia’s military doctrine allow for the use of nuclear weapons to defend allies if they come under attack. He made the statement while responding to a question about the possible deployment of Russian nuclear arms in other CSTO member states.