I have received several letters from astute readers who ask why Russia would use tactical nuclear arms to destroy F-16s on the ground in Romania or Moldova when its conventionally-tipped Iskander missiles could do the job.
The use of nukes against, say, airports in Moldova or Romania,is directly connected to the ongoing revision of Russia’s nuclear doctrine and it heads precisely in line with the recommendations of Sergei Karaganov 15 months ago: it is to send a message to the whole of NATO not to even think of continuing escalation in its now open war on Russia. It is a political message, not a military necessity. Like the US use of nukes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, though here we are speaking of military and not civilian targets.
To be sure, the idea of using nukes against the F-16 bases is what I heard the Russians saying on ‘The Great Game,’ NOT my idea. If Iskanders were used to do the job, that would not inhibit NATO from invoking Article 5 and it would present a strictly reactive, as opposed to proactive Russia to be feared.