Why Kaliningrad May Become A Flashpoint In Escalating Russia-NATO Tensions: Explained

Livemint

Published2 Oct 2026, 09:27 PM IST

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Russia has warned NATO it would be prepared to use nuclear weapons if the Western alliance tries to cut off or attack Kaliningrad, its heavily militarised exclave on the Baltic Sea wedged between Poland and Lithuania. The territory, once the German city of Königsberg, hosts Russia’s Baltic Fleet, advanced air defences and Iskander missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Its geography makes it both a strategic asset projecting power into Europe and a potential vulnerability that could be isolated in a conflict.