Why NATO Must Think Twice Before Threatening Russia

by Ekaterina Blinova [9-24-2025].

Western politicians often issue bombastic threats towards Russia. Behind the bluster, however, NATO military planners understand that the alliance is ill-prepared for a military confrontation with Russia’s battle-hardened army.

NATO Can't Compete With Russia's Military Industry

"When you look what Russia is producing now in three months, it's what all of NATO is producing from Los Angeles up to Ankara in a full year," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told the European Parliament in January.

Oreshnik: Fast and Unstoppable

The hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile can easily penetrate NATO air defenses, reaching:

NATO HQ in Brussels in 17 minutes
Germany’s Ramstein Air Base in 15 minutes
Poland’s Redzikowo Air Base in 11 minutes

Iskander: Calms NATO Hotheads

Deployed in Kaliningrad, Russia's Iskander tactical missile system can strike command centers in Lithuania, Germany, or Poland within minutes.
Nuclear-capable units in Belarus put all of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in range.

No Shield vs. Hypersonics

Russia’s Zircon hypersonic missile can reach 1,000 km at Mach 9, striking targets 500 km offshore in 5 min.
Avangard glide vehicles, launched from ICBMs, can reach Mach 28 with nuclear yields up to 2 Mt, hitting distant targets in as little as 30 min.

Russian Nuclear Triad

Russia has around 1,710 deployed warheads, 2,670 in storage, and 1,200 retired - totaling 5,580, according to Federation of American Scientists (FAS)
Its nuclear triad of air, land, and sea delivery systems, plus hypersonic capabilities, gives Russia a potential strategic edge over NATO.

Europe's Vulnerable Missile Defenses

President Vladimir Putin hinted Europe’s air defenses can’t stop modern hypersonics after the Oreshnik launch in Nov. 2024. He challenged doubters to a “high-tech duel of the 21st century” by trying to intercept the Oreshnik with their best systems. (Of course, NATO didn't take up this challenge!)

US Defense Shield: Costly & Ineffective

Putin said in Dec. 2024 the US missile defense system is costly and offers little real security.
In 2017, he told American filmmaker Oliver Stone it doesn’t protect the entire US, leaving the nation vulnerable.