Russia warns NATO of possible nuclear response if Kaliningrad is cut off | NATO News
Moscow says NATO is preparing an air and naval blockade in the Baltic Sea.
Published on September 30, 2026
Russia has warned NATO that it is ready to use its entire arsenal, including its nuclear weapons, if the Western alliance tries to cut off the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, according to a diplomatic document sent to member states.
The diplomatic note sent Wednesday claims that Moscow has “information that NATO is preparing an air and naval blockade of Kaliningrad.”
NATO’s response came from its Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said NATO was a defensive alliance and that Russia must “end nuclear threats”, calling the document unnecessary.
Rutte also downplayed the severity of the threat, saying “Putin knows he can never win” in a direct escalation with NATO.
Bordered by Poland and Lithuania, both NATO members, the Russian territory of Kaliningrad is located on the Baltic Sea. The region serves as a major military outpost, home to Russia’s Baltic Fleet and nuclear-capable Iskander missile systems.
The exchange comes more than four and a half years after the start of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, as tensions increasingly spill over to neighboring states.
Poland has stepped up its air defense following suspected incursions into its airspace in recent weeks, while Danish authorities said a Russian warship fired two flares near a Danish military helicopter over the Baltic Sea two weeks ago.
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