The special line of communication between the military of the United States and Russia, which was created at the beginning of the Russian war against Ukraine, has been used only once so far.
This was reported to Reuters by a US official.
According to him, the call was initiated by the United States to communicate its concern about Russian military operations near critical infrastructure in Ukraine.
The US official refused to specify exactly what actions of Russia caused alarm in the United States. But Reuters journalists assume that they could be connected with the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant or with Russian intentions to blow up the Nova Kakhovka HPP, which the Ukrainian side warned about.
Earlier, the Pentagon noted that it had maintained several communication channels to "discuss critical security issues with the Russians during an emergency to prevent miscalculations, military incidents, and escalation."
- The Reuters agency also wrote that Russia unilaterally postponed negotiations with the United States regarding the renewal of inspections of nuclear weapons facilities in accordance with the new treaty on strategic offensive weapons. The negotiations were to take place in Cairo on November 28.
- On September 25, the administration of President Joe Biden privately informed the Kremlin that any use of nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine would have "catastrophic consequences" for Russia.