A Russian military aircraft that flew over Ireland last week was carrying a nuclear weapon, according to reports. The bombers caused controversy when they entered Irish airspace without permission before heading toward British territory, where the RAF intercepted them. Any deployment of the weapon would have to be approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself.
The shock appearance of Russian warplanes in Irish airspace raised serious questions about Ireland’s defences. The government’s defence policy has been called into question after claims that the Air Corps is totally unable to cope with a violation of Irish territory, including a hijacked plane or foreign military aircraft.
The revelation that the Russian warplane was carrying a nuclear weapon has raised even more concerns about Ireland’s safety. While there is very little risk of Ireland being attacked by Russia, if the plane had come down accidentally it could have caused disastrous environmental effects.