The Financial Times has reported that the Russian Navy has been trained to strike European targets with nuclear-tipped missiles in the event of a conflict with NATO, according to classified documents obtained by the publication. These documents, which were drawn up between 2008 and 2014 and provided by Western sources, detail Russia's plans for a potential conflict with the West, extending far beyond its immediate NATO borders.

The documents outline potential targets as far as the west coast of France and Barrow-in-Furness in Great Britain, highlighting Russia's preparations for a series of devastating strikes on Western Europe. The Russian Navy has retained the capability to deploy nuclear weapons on surface ships, a factor that experts believe could significantly increase the risk of escalation or accidents.

According to the documents, Russia has emphasized the advantages of using nuclear strikes early in a conflict and underscores the navy's "high maneuverability" to launch "sudden and preemptive strikes" as well as "massive missile strikes... from multiple directions." The materials also note that nuclear weapons are intended to be used "in combination with other means of destruction" to achieve Russia's strategic goals.

Analysts who reviewed the documents indicated that they align with NATO's assessment of the threat posed by long-range missile strikes from the Russian fleet and the likelihood that Russia would resort to nuclear weapons early in a conflict.