Russia ‘accidentally’ reveals nuclear missile plans

Russian state-controlled television channels have aired images of what were secret plans for a nuclear torpedo system that the Kremlin is developing.

The plans said submarine-fired nuclear torpedoes would devastate their targets, creating “zones of extensive radioactive contamination making them unsuitable for military or economic activity for a long period”, according to a translation by AFP.

During President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with military officials in Sochi, where the development of Russia’s military capabilities were being discussed, a number of TV crews were able to capture footage of a paper that was certainly not meant for public viewing.

The footage was reportedly aired Tuesday on NTV and Channel One. “We hope this will not happen again.”Independent experts noted, however, that it would be hard to imagine cameramen of state TV stations doing a close up on any documents on the table during a Kremlin meeting on military issues. He added that usage of these systems have already begun in the military this year and the talks of developing new types of weapons are ongoing.

During a discussion of military hardware on Russian television, details of a new nuclear torpedo system were inadvertently revealed. “It’s an attempt to offer an asymmetrical answer to the USA missile defense”.

During his meetings in Sochi with military officials earlier this week, Putin said the “true purpose” of the planned U.S.-led missile shield is “to neutralize the potential of other nuclear states… primarily Russian Federation”. Russian Federation Today reports it’s unclear if the torpedo system is something that’s actually being developed or just one of multiple possibilities. But Putin dismisses that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation argument because the global deal agreed this year imposes limits on Iran’s nuclear program.

Launched by a submarine, it would create “wide areas of radioactive contamination”, the document said.

On the diagram the giant torpedo’s range is given as “up to 10,000km” (6,200 miles) and depth of trajectory is “up to 1,000m” (3,300ft).

Mr Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, however, insisted the country’s strategic warfare spending fell short of “the American path of extortionate expense”.

Indeed, in a move that appeared to be choreographed, state TV cameras swept over the Status-6 document as Putin delivered remarks promising that Russian Federation would develop weapons capable of overwhelming any missile defenses on the planet.