Overview
- SVR, which issued a statement Wednesday, alleged EU leaders are covertly building a nuclear force and named German sites in Karlsruhe, Dresden, Erlangen, Jülich and Gronau.
- Berlin’s Defence Ministry declined to comment, saying it does not respond to claims from such sources.
- The allegations spread through state-aligned outlets such as Sputnik, which analysts say reflects a Kremlin information campaign to stoke fear and justify nuclear threats.
- Experts report no evidence of an EU or German weapons effort, noting the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty bans such a program and European debate focuses on closer use of UK and French deterrents within NATO.
- The SVR made similar unverified claims in late February about London and Paris arming Ukraine with a nuclear device, highlighting a repeated pattern.