The sensitive cables, which emerged online after the apparent hacking of the EU’s diplomatic communications network, show Crimea is viewed as “hot zone”. Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian territory in 2014 and tensions are still running high in the region with the most recent clashes resulting in the seizure of three Ukrainian naval vessels and capture of 24 of of its sailors by Russian special forces.
The EU and US have always condemned Russia’s actions in the region but have never publicly suggested they hold any evidence of the presence of nuclear weapons being stored in Crimea.
But one of the thousands of leaked cables revealed security chiefs described the enclave as as a “hot zone where nuclear weapons may be present”.
Russia has beefed up its military presence in Crimea in recent weeks with the deployment of its S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems which Kremlin defence chiefs say will protect its airspace over the region.
The Black Sea Fleet’s press office said the S-400 combat teams took part in air defence drills today, carrying out electronic launches after detecting, tracking and destroying targets simulating a notional enemy’s air attack weapons.
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Brussels has launched an investigation into the release of the confidential information which also brand Donald Trump a “bully” and highlight the concerns of EU diplomats and officials over the White House administration and its dealings with Russia and China.
The EU’s secretariat said in response to the first report of the leak in the New York Times that it was “aware of allegations regarding a potential leak of sensitive information” and was “actively investigating the issue”.
European Commission vice president Valdis Dombrovskis said every “institution or country” was vulnerable to such attacks but declined to comment on the leaks.
The cables, covering three years of diplomatic activity, appear to have been posted online where they were discovered by a security company called Area 1, who passed the information on to the New York Times.
The newspaper said the techniques deployed by the hackers resembled those used by a unit of China’s People’s Liberation Army.
The leaked cables were only “restricted” documents rather than the EU’s most secretive communications which are held on a different network
Hackers are also said to have infiltrated the networks of the UN in 2016 when North Korea was carrying our missiles launches.