Fictionalized BBC Special Report of NATO-Russia conflict

[Music] welcome to the BBC news desk we have breaking news of a serious incident between Russian and NATO forces near the coast of Latvia although the details are uncertain early reports indicate that a Russian surveillance aircraft was fired upon by naval vessels of NATO forces operating in that region after apparently straying into Latvian sovereign airspace it's unclear at this stage whether the Russian aircraft was shot down or not this incident comes in the wake of a similar event some time ago in which two Russian pilots were killed after being shot down by Turkish surface-to-air missiles near the border with Syria it's not known what caused this latest incidents or at exactly what time the conflict took place but it is believed that it happened earlier today and that Russian forces have returned fire the government has convened a meeting of the emergency kobra committee and senior members of the British military have been seen entering 10 Downing Street there were chaotic scenes earlier today as Prime Minister Theresa May was rushed back to Downing Street as details of the international crisis began to emerge she had been due to attend a meeting with senior business leaders in the city today followed by a cross-party governmental committee meeting on electoral reform but these plans have been canceled in light of current developments a government spokesperson said that no statement will be issued until the situation becomes clearer Kate Miller reports news of the outbreak of military action between Russia and NATO has been greeted across the globe with expressions of concern and alarm there are unconfirmed reports that Russian forces have retaliated by engaging in direct fire against several NATO warships to u.s. cruisers the USS Princeton and the USS Gettysburg are reported to be in the region but it's not known if they were directly involved in the incident the Ministry of Defence has yet to confirm these reports stating that the situation is changing rapidly and that they'd be making a formal statement into U course but acknowledging that something very serious has happened in Europe senior military leaders have been meeting at regional NATO headquarters indicating that a response to what they described as unwarranted Russian aggression is being planned a general military alert has been issued across Europe including the deployment of over 50,000 NATO troops to key points along the central border to Russia and the activation of over 200,000 reserve troops from France Germany Holland and the UK the first contingent of British troops has already left RAF Brize Norton all military leave has been cancelled and the mobilisation of all British forces nationally and internationally has been ordered by the government and were just receiving reports that at least one NATO warship have sustained serious damage as a result of direct fire from Russian forces details are unclear and the number of casualties remains unknown but it's reported that at least one vessel has been sunk with major loss of life and that contact has been lost with a further two ships in the area the US president has condemned the Russian military action calling on President Putin to pull back from what the US government has described as a wreck and warlike posture which can only lead to greater conflict world leaders have expressed their condemnation of Russian military action stating their support for US and NATO forces and their hope that a peaceful negotiated settlement of the conflict can be achieved the Pentagon has convened a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a worldwide military alert has been declared for all US forces with immediate effect will be bringing you further information on the US response to the situation as details emerge the conflict in the Baltic Sea continues to escalate with reports that a number of Royal Navy vessels have joined the battle it's believed at HMS Lancaster and HMS Duncan are leading the British response and that HMS Northumberland is enroute to provide additional support the Royal Navy Trafalgar class submarine HMS Torbay is believed to be in the region but it is not clear whether it's involved in the conflict the Ministry of Defence has declined to comment stating that the military response to the situation would be proportionate but that it would not be appropriate to discuss any details there after several destroyers from the Russian Baltic Fleet have been spotted near the coast of Finland indicating a potential major escalation in the scale of the conflict and increasing fears that the fighting may get out of hand before a political solution can be negotiated in response to global condemnation of Russian military action President Putin has stated that Russia will use whatever means are necessary to defend itself including the use of its strategic military capabilities Russian forces are already at a heightened state of combat readiness following significant military exercises over recent months and the deployment of the Russian s400 advanced surface-to-air missile system along the central border between Russia and Western Europe reporting restrictions have been imposed due to the sensitivity of divulging troop movements but were hoping for an update from our local reporters in the region and from other news networks in due course in the UK the mobilisation of the Armed Forces is continuing with a full recall of all reserve forces and heightened security at military bases and airfields typhoon fighter jets from 29 squadron at raf con in Lincolnshire and six Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland have begun patrolling UK airspace and restrictions on civilian and commercial air traffic have been imposed around military and nuclear power facilities the Ministry of Defence has ordered the dispersal of key military forces and strategic bomber aircraft to various bases across the country and the British submarine fleet has left the naval bases at Faslane in Scotland and from Plymouth former south coast traffic restrictions have been reported on certain motorways and access points causing tailbacks in many areas and bringing traffic to a virtual standstill on parts of the m25 emergency services and hospitals in the UK have also been placed on high alert a senior spokesperson for the NHS has stated that it's important the UK is prepared for any eventuality but that this should not be a cause of unto a concern and just to recap on the main point so far a serious incident has been reported between Russian and NATO military forces in the Baltic Sea apparently resulting in direct fire from Russian warships against US and British naval forces resulting in the loss of at least one naval vessel and with casualties now exceeding over 200 troops killed and several hundred more either injured or unaccounted for it's not clear when the first incident took place but it appears that sometime earlier today a Russian surveillance aircraft was fired upon by NATO forces after apparently entering Latvian sovereign airspace it's not know whether the Russian aircraft was shot down and the Russian government so far has neither confirmed nor denied that this incident took place a NATO spokesperson has reported significant troop movements in Russia near the borders of Latvia and Estonia prompting fears that a much larger regional conflict is becoming inevitable a full-scale military response is underway involving combined NATO forces although the scale and severity of the conflict remains unclear we're expecting a statement shortly from the British government following an emergency meeting of the cabinet in a joint session with CM military leaders it's clear however that the situation is extremely serious and is continuing to escalate [Applause] Downing Street has confirmed that all parliamentary sessions have been suspended for today and that heightened security measures have been put in place around major governmental and military facilities reporting restrictions have also been imposed on all major news networks reflecting what the government described as a sensitive and volatile situation which represents a substantial and immediate threat to our national security and with the latest report from the conflict it's believed that a Russian guided missile destroyer has been hit by a missile fired by the British naval fleet apparently sustaining major damage with many casualties heavy fires on board have been reported as NATO forces continue to retaliate Russian search and rescue vessels are on the scene with additional support on reach from their Baltic Fleet who are expected to arrive in the region shortly and we do now have footage of the conflict from the region this is the scene of Russian warships based directly off the coast of Finland these are truly extraordinary scenes Russian warships firing directly at US and British forces from NATO and what now must surely represent a state of war we expect to receive a statement from Downing Street shortly about the escalating crisis and how British and international forces plan to respond to the situation and we've just heard that the government has passed the emergency Powers Act bringing the country into a formal state of war preparation and suspending many peacetime activities and functions central government in the UK has been suspended and power has now been passed instead to a system of local officials dispersed across the country emergency response and civil defense authorities have been placed on the highest level of alert and preparations are underway in case the UK itself comes under direct attack let's go live to NATO regional headquarters in Brussels where defence and foreign ministers from various NATO member countries and their allies continue to arrive one of the early arrivals is the Belgian Minister of Defence Steven van der pute joining his counterparts from a growing number of NATO member countries and their allies and we see the arrival of representatives of the Danish government yes we believe that this is Michael's ilma John's the Danish ambassador to NATO and in the latest update on the conflict fighter and surveillance quick reaction alert aircraft have left NATO combined air operation centers in Germany and Holland as well as from NATO air force bases in the Baltic countries there are reports that Russian heavy bombers have attacked the main NATO air force base in Lithuania apparently resulting in heavy damage with many casualties we understand that this is where combined forces from France Spain and Portugal are based mainly typhoon and Mirage fighter jets we're waiting to hear of any further news on this but we understand that the attack is ongoing and that Dutch f-16s based out of maan bork in Poland as well as British typhoon fighter jets of the Royal Air Force based in Amaury in Estonia are responding [Music] and this is US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter just arriving at NATO headquarters in Brussels clearly accompanied by several high-ranking military commanders surrounded as you would expect by US Secret Service and again not wanting to address waiting reporters clearly something major is underway here in Europe as NATO plans its response and we have another arrival the security here is very heavy there are armed officers surrounding the area and this is the German Minister of Defence ursula von der Leyen speaking with senior military commanders we get a real sense of the seriousness of the situation and we'll come back to NATO headquarters in Brussels we expect the British Secretary of Defense to arrive there shortly but for the moment let's go back to Kate Miller to see what the latest developments are Kate thanks John and in a further dramatic development in the growing international crisis Russian troops have crossed the border into Estonia and Latvia international observers have reported a significant incursion involving an estimated 75,000 Russian troops and a number of tank divisions and missile regiments heavy fighting has been reported along the border areas but Russian forces have broken through in several places and are moving quickly towards the capitals of both countries an estimated 15,000 NATO troops are stationed in the Baltic States making it unlikely that any significant defence of the territory can be achieved Russian heavy armored divisions have surrounded the strategically important cities of Nava and var in Estonia and resent Kerr and craz lonna in Latvia in an attack led by elite Russian Special Forces Russian troops and heavy armored divisions based in Belarus and in the Russian n clayvin Ingrid have also been massing along the border of Lithuania with incursions of Russian fighter and surveillance aircraft already being reported in Lithuanian airspace the national government in Vilnius has declared a state of emergency and has requested NATO support in defending its country against Russian aggression in New York an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council is underway and the Russian ambassador to the United States is currently meeting with senior officials at the White House in what's being described as a frank and earnest exchange of views about the growing international crisis in Moscow Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended the actions of his military forces stating that Russia has been provoked beyond measure by years of political and military encroachment by Western nations and that the time had come to assert its right to defend legitimate cultural and political interests in former Soviet countries it's not known whether the US president has had any direct contact with his Russian counterpart or whether the so called hotline between the White House and the Kremlin in place since the Cuban Missile Crisis has been used since the conflict started the u.s. president the US Secretary of State plus a number of other key political and military leaders have left Andrews Air Force Base in Air Force One and are likely to remain airborne until a crisis is stabilized NORAD has declared DEFCON 2 bringing all American strategic nuclear forces to a high state of readiness and sending America's strategic bomber wings to their assigned failsafe points across the globe all remaining vessels of the u.s. submarine fleet of sails from their bases joining an already substantial contingent of naval vessels in international waters let's go back to NATO regional headquarters in Brussels these were the scenes a few moments ago the British Secretary of State for Defence the right honourable Michael Fallon MP in Brussels originally to chair a NATO Committee on defense planning but now arriving at this emergency meeting of international NATO leaders many of the government ministers and representatives we see today were already in Brussels for various NATO Council meetings others have been rushed here to join the emergency session of senior military and political leaders and the defense secretary seems to be speaking with reporters he's completely surrounded but let's try to listen in to what's being said this is further reassurance for our allies on the eastern flank of NATO for the Baltic States and for Poland and that is part of our policy of more persistent presence of the eastern side of NATO to respond to any further Russian provocation and aggression a small number of troops to start with well Russia is making a very dangerous situation sorry can I start again Russia is making a very serious situation much more dangerous and we'll be meeting today to see what we can do to de-escalate this crisis particularly in terms of air safety we've seen something we didn't think I didn't think would happen again in my lifetime we've seen him trying to change international borders by force in Europe France the United States and ourselves have nuclear weapons the rest of NATO enjoys the protection that that gives and by the way a number of their air forces of course are committed and ready to be able to carry nuclear weapons we're not aiming them into Russian cities but the whole purpose of having nuclear weapons is that any of our adversary' should be left unsure as to the precise circumstances in which we would find and just to recap quickly on the main points so far things have been moving very quickly from what started earlier today as a rumor that NATO forces had fired on a Russian surveillance aircraft to a situation where Russian forces are engaging in ongoing heavy combat with combined forces from different countries in the NATO alliance Russia has invaded Estonia and Latvia with an estimated force of 75,000 troops and a number of tank divisions and missile regiments the international response has also been significant Israel has warned against any moves against its territory and has declared a state of national emergency China has advised NATO to use caution in the way it responds to the ongoing situation in Europe a spokesman from the US State Department has confirmed that Chinese officials have also warned the u.s. against any military activity in the South China Sea from its bases in the Philippines stating that any such action would be interpreted as an act of aggression and would be dealt with accordingly north Korea has declared its support for Russia and has begun mobilizing an estimated 300,000 troops along the border to South Korea increasing concerns that the growing military crisis in Europe will spread to other international locations the governments of South Korea and Japan have expressed their concern the increasingly belligerent statements of the North Korean government stating that the nuclear capabilities of North Korea remain unknown but represent an immediate and significant threat there are reports of massive troop movements within Russia and there are real concerns that this conflict might escalate rapidly Reuters news agency has reported that the much-feared topol-m mobile missile launchers are being moved into strategic positions along the central frontier to Europe so Russia is sending a very clear signal to NATO Central Command the representatives of the Polish government have just arrived surely they'll have serious concerns about Russian military intent especially given their proximity to the Baltic States polite smiles all round but the sense of urgency and tension is clear and almost straight away we have another rival I'm not completely sure which country this delegations from this is live from Brussels we can really feel the sense of urgency and tension in the air security is extremely tight and very few of the representatives really want to stop and talk to the media clearly this is a situation of the utmost seriousness and no doubt a full military response is being planned and in breaking news Buckingham Palace has announced the Queen and senior members of the royal family have been evacuated to a secure location outside London no details have been given and it's not clear when exactly the evacuation took place but sources indicate that the decision was based on advice from the defense secretary who's currently attending an emergency session of senior NATO military leaders in Brussels the Queen is apparently fully aware of the ongoing situation and has been kept informed of developments as they occur Buckingham Palace has said that they will not be issuing a formal statement beyond this announcement but that they urged people to remain calm and to monitor the situation closely the Polish government has expressed their concern about the accumulation of Russian forces along its northeastern border with Belarus fearing that they may push towards Germany and in doing so reclaim many regions within its country that used to be under Soviet control Poland for many years has permitted NATO early warning and defense missile systems on its territory in a move seen as provocative by the Russian military and these are likely to be targeted by Russia in any significant move of its army towards Western Europe large-scale evacuations have already been reported in Warsaw and Krakov prompting fears that the movement of people away from major cities might interfere with the deployment of troops and military vehicles two key defense positions all civilian and commercial air traffic in the region has been suspended and emergency civil defense measures have been initiated by the Polish government we can now go to our senior military correspondent retired Army General and ex head of British Armed Forces Sir Norman Fairchild who's been closely monitoring the situation thank you for joining us so Norman firstly can you give us your assessment of the situation and where you think things might go from here well this is clearly a very serious situation but when I have to say that might have been foreseen it has been clear for some time that there's been a more fundamental tension between Russia and the West regarding the encroachment of NATO forces and defense systems upon the Russian border and historical territory sir this possibly has been coming for some time the conflict in the Ukraine and in Syria has significantly increased the likelihood from the various forces would come into direct conflict at some stage and this is certainly something that many people feared might happen so is this possibly something that Russia has been planning for well I think we need to bear in mind that Russian forces have been building their military strength for a number of years investing heavily in advanced technology having a level of war readiness that few countries could claim we have seen several large-scale military exercises by Russian forces which of course is a convenient way of disguising the deployment and positioning of its military assets and they of course know that Western forces are already fully committed in various conflicts in the Middle East I have to say that I'm not convinced that this particular episode are as serious as it is in itself is the full picture I believe that this is part of something much bigger and is more like the in fact to be a diversion from Russia's true military intent which remains to be seen we've seen that the government has passed the emergency Powers Act most people will be unfamiliar with what this means so can you tell us what the significance of this is in military terms the significance really is twofold the first is the level of readiness it brings preparing the country for a state of war and bringing all British Armed Forces to the highest possible levels of planning and preparation this necessarily includes the British strategic nuclear deterrent this of course has never happened before so how quickly and effectively we can respond remains to be seen but clearly there is a real urgency now due to the severity of the crisis the second and possibly more serious implication is that it tells us that our intelligence services have assessed the threat as being very dangerous so they clearly know that something is up and will be returning to that conversation in a few moments we interrupt to bring you news that the Ministry of Defence has reported what it refers to as a number of large ordered detonations in the seas off the coasts of Estonia and Latvia no details or confirmation of these reports attributed to local NATO observers have been received as yet but it's understood that one of these attacks was targeted against key supply vessels carrying fuel and ammunition to NATO forces we believe that there is footage of the attack from a military observation vessel and we hope to have that shortly in further breaking news the government has taken control of British Airways all cross channel ferries and the channel tunnel they say it's a temporary step to help move troops and equipment to Europe thousands are currently stranded at Heathrow and Gatwick and the Royal Navy has also been deployed to guard the north sea oil rigs the Amod have described this as a prudent precautionary measure and in a controversial move the Turkish government has refused to allow NATO forces to use their sovereign airspace warning that any such incursion would be seen as a hostile act reports indicate that Turkey has refused all air traffic clearance for NATO aircraft at in collec air base and that Turkish military forces have refused to allow access into or out of the air base turkey has recently strengthened its political and military ties with Russia but its refusal to support NATO is likely to raise concerns that this action will compromise NATO military strategy and will allow Russia to more easily advance into former Soviet countries in southern Europe a number of American b-52 long-range bomber aircraft have been seen leaving RAF Fairford a primary forward staging base for United States Air Force strategic assets in the UK it's not clear whether they're equipped with nuclear weapons but a senior US military spokesperson has stated that a non-conventional military response may be required and that they needed to be prepared for any eventuality American AWACS surveillance along with several airborne refueling aircraft of all Select Aviano air force base in Italy to support military operations in the region the Prime Minister Theresa May and senior members of cabinet directing emergency operations from an undisclosed location outside of London along with the head of British Armed Forces and other CEM military leaders in the UK military and civilian authorities are continuing their preparations to respond to the growing crisis all non-essential and elective surgeries have been cancelled by the NHS and hospitals are being cleared of non-critical patients to make way for potential casualties in the event of a wider conflict the Ministry of Defence has refused to comment on rumors that Russian forces have used tactical nuclear weapons against British and u.s. naval forces in the Baltic Sea the United States has continued to respond to the growing international crisis the meeting of the US president and the Joint Chiefs of Staff is still in session but we understand that a full mobilization of US military forces is underway internationally and that all military leave has been cancelled b-2 stealth bombers have been seen leaving Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri some time ago and all military bases in Europe and the Middle East have been placed on high alert sources at the Pentagon are suggesting that a major strategic confrontation with Russia might be a real possibility NATO has been moving their forces closer and closer to Russia over the past few years and activating the Aegis missile system in both Poland and Romania very recently has caused serious consternation in Russia because of what they see is a first strike capability right on their doorstep so they see NATO as the aggressor here the number of NATO warships and armed forces currently positioned in the Baltic region suggest that NATO possibly new something might happen these events come after a rather grand and elaborate ceremony in Moscow yesterday in which President Putin made something of a rhetorical speech about the right of Russia to reclaim its interests in former Soviet Union countries and to protect itself from the growing political and military influence of NATO nobody really paid much attention to this ceremony at the time but it's certainly beginning to take on a new significance in light of current events Russian state television has been broadcasting extraordinary scenes of President Putin personally directing military operations from a command center this looks highly organized and certainly suggests that the conflict was not just a spontaneous act clearly a lot of planning has gone into this let's listen in for a few moments this is not life but was broadcast within the last 30 minutes report in more detail on the operation mr. commander-in-chief for in accordance with your order in accordance with your orders we have intensified our aerial airstrikes together with intensifying the sorties our plan foresees engaging aviation sorties long-range aviation from Russian based Russian based airfields including 25 strategic bombers and other aircraft mr. commander-in-chief in accordance with your decision as of today the group of long-range bombers to 122 delivered a group air strikes on six targets from the most dock airfield following their landing they are prepared for a repeated sortie the wings that took flight again to deliver another group air strike and up to 1700 hours the double strikes on six enemy targets as of now the aircraft are returning to the airfield the crews and the hardware are working normally mr. commander-in-chief our personnel of our operations group is prepared to carry out the missions to protect the Russian Federation in its citizens we've just received footage of one of the attacks against NATO warships apparently taken from a stationary camera on board and NATO observation vessel which was sailing close to a supply convoy carrying supplies of fuel ammunition and military equipment if we can roll the tape you'll see a distant view of the supply convoy partially masked by one of the fuel tankers in the foreground a of kilometers or so away from the camera what happens then is just incredible it seems to be a huge detonation underwater the blast itself was about half a mile wide and must have wiped out at least a dozen vessels in one go let's go straight to our military expert for his view on this incredible footage can you tell us what type of weapon you think the Russians are using here I have to say that this is very disturbing this is not a conventional torpedo by any means and there is no doubt in my mind that Russia are using a new creative torpedo which generally has a yield of around 10 to 20 kilotons and certainly would be capable of delivering the type of impact we've seen in this footage and I have to say that this brings us into a completely different type of game there is absolutely no way that NATO can compete against this type of weaponry by relying purely on its conventional so the question is how they will choose and in light of these developments and we're receiving alarming reports that Russian special forces backed by fast attack helicopters and paratroop regiments have crossed the southern and northern borders into Finland moving quickly towards Helsinki and sending NATO forces into disarray as they try to respond to this massive Russian attack we don't have any further details at this time but this is evidently a move towards Sweden and Norway in what must be a major push towards Western Europe we understand that the Russian Northern Fleet led by the Kirov class battle cruiser Peter the Great has taken up a strategic position in the Norwegian Sea and we believe that they have very considerable military assets such as fighter jets advanced amphibious and landing craft Akula class submarines and of course hundreds of cruise missiles including those capable of carrying nuclear warheads having already crossed the border into Latvia and Estonia and now into Finland the looming question is how far Russian forces will go will they continue to advance and to define NATO's declared policy of defense by all means including the use of tactical nuclear weapons we're now being joined by our colleagues at the BBC Studios in Manchester who'll be helping us as we bring you live news let's hand over for the moment to my colleague Simon Kendal Simon thanks John we've been watching the situation with concern and we'll be providing any updates and information possible we're also here in case Broadcasting House in London needs to be evacuated which we believe is a possibility and military experts a norm and Fairchild will also stay on the line with us for the time being but for the moment let's get the latest news from Kate Miller Kate thanks Simon we're just receiving reports that the Russian Air Force has bombed several military installations in Poland and that Russian tanks and heavy armored divisions have crossed the border from Belarus into Poland just west of the city of Brest which must surely mean that they'll push directly towards Warsaw Russian paratroopers have surrounded a strategically important port of Gdansk and heavy fighting has been reported in the area we've also had news at the Russian air has attacked NATO missile defense systems in Romania and that Russian paratroopers have taken control of Odessa in Ukraine warships from the Black Sea Fleet have been spotted off the coast of Romania and reports indicate that Russian Special Forces have landed just north of the city of Constanta the NATO military base at diverse Allu and Romania has been hit by cruise missiles fired from the Russian guided missile frigate Admiral Grigorovich with over 40 confirmed fatalities and heavy damage to buildings and runways the government of neighboring Moldova declared a state of surrender and has pledged allegiance to the Russian state providing a potentially important staging position and indicating Russian intent to push northwards and retake the western half of Ukraine an estimated 20,000 Russian troops are reported to be massing on the border of Belarus just north of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev furthering concerns that a complete invasion of the former Soviet country is underway the Russian government has warned against any NATO interference in its military activities in Ukraine and the Baltic region stating that any hostile action by NATO forces would require a full retaliatory response against Western Europe and the United States a statement from NATO Central Command is expected shortly and we'll bring you that as soon as it comes in so Norman what's your assessment of the situation given this latest news clearly this is a very worrying development and there can be no doubt now that this is part of an orchestrated and premeditated strike by Russia against the West Nature will have to respond but we've clearly been caught napping the West is totally unprepared for this type of scenario so I think we're in serious trouble here NATO Central Command has confirmed that Russia has invaded Romania adding that giant Antonov an Aleutian military cargo aircraft of the Russian Air Force have dropped elite Russian Special Forces and heavy combat equipment and vehicles within 20 kilometers of the eastern border of and south of the Romanian border to Ukraine there's been no official statement from the Romanian government but it's understood that no root out reaction is likely to be initiated by Romanian armed forces the government of Ukraine has repeated their expression of concern and has requested direct military action by NATO against massing Russian forces the Russian government has repeated its assertion that its action is in response to years of increasing improvement and political interference by NATO and its allies warning that they'll respond massively should NATO create any further escalation in the conflict NATO has reported heavy fighting near the Latvian capital of Riga and has confirmed that Russian forces have seized control of Talyn in Estonia Russian forces are moving rapidly west towards Helsinki in Finland and are continuing to engage in heavy naval battles in the Gulf of Finland in Poland heavy fighting has been reported as Russian forces moved towards Warsaw both from the north and east it's strategically important port of Gdansk has been captured increasing the Russian stronghold in the Baltic Sea and providing an important staging point for further military action towards Western Europe thanks Kate we now open the line Keith for an expert in civil defence and chief adviser to the government on emergency measures and contingent planning Keith we appreciate you joining us you more than most people will appreciate the seriousness of this situation and we know that there's growing concern that this conflict might escalate into a more strategic nuclear confrontation the standard advice to the public is to gather food and water to create a shelter in their home to protect them against blast and fall outs what's your assessment of the effectiveness of such measures I can tell you that I've worked in civil defence 25 years and the literature that was being churned out in the fifties is practically the same as as we now have this idea of up turning a table and putting it against a wall and surrounding it with cushions and and painting the windows white and bringing in enough food to last for a full night into the room so you can live in this room for a fortnight I mean good heavens if this building is in the target area and it's shattered broken in some way then the fallout dust which comes down immediately after the explosion in high levels very heavy dust the initial stuff that comes down this will be very very highly radioactive it will not be stopped by cushions it will not be stopped by wood and the people that are sheltering in that makeshift shelter will certainly be dead within a few days to a few weeks from radiation sickness but with respect I know that you've been critical of government policy on civil defense but this is the general advice from government sources surely it has some merit in protecting people if there's a major attack isn't this the whole basis of the principle of protection survivor I would call it neglect and die in its present form because I don't think anyone could survive in the cities in make-shift shelters it's absolutely preposterous to expect anyone to survive under those conditions Thank You Keith we're being joined live via skype by our Eastern European correspondent andreas Siebler who's based in Warsaw andreas can you update us on the situation in Poland we have an alarming situation here in Basel people are very concerned and many are leaving the city a short while ago we had a strange incident the sky lit up a number of times I could see it through our windows the light just changed and it was very unusual we have a few fixed cameras overlooking the city on the top of our studio building and we can see that something did happen a few moments ago no he knows what is really happening andreas we understand that the Polish government has declared a state of emergency but have you witnessed any direct fighting or heard from anyone closer to the frontline we are hearing sires all of Warsaw we think that something is about to happen we are being told to get shelter as quickly as possible maybe thanks sorry but we seem to have lost our connection with Warsaw we'll try and clarify the situation there and hopefully reconnect as soon as possible but for the moment let's go back to Kate Miller to see what the latest developments are Kate thanks John the leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn has complained that the government is not telling the public the whole truth about the conflicts arguing that people have the right to know what's happening and what danger they face the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has ordered emergency announcements to be broadcast and is instructed that all underground stations be immediately open to members of the public to provide shelter against a possible air attack on the capital and I'm sorry to interrupt we've just had breaking news of a significant explosion at RAF filing dales in Yorkshire the home of Britain's ballistic missile early warning system in what appears to be the first direct attack against UK forces on British soil we've also had reports of similar attacks on Tooley Air Force Base in Greenland and on clear Air Force Station in Alaska from what appears to be submarine launched ballistic missiles cinoman this is clearly a strategic move by Russian military commanders yes all of these military bases are part of a network of early warning radar systems designed to detect a nuclear launch against the west and to help to target incoming nuclear warheads NATO has quite a substantial anti-ballistic missile system but it relies on accurate targeting so without these advanced radar capabilities will be more or less shooting blind it's pretty clear that we're gonna get into a real shooting match very soon thank you sir Norman obviously we'll be monitoring the situation carefully as the mobilisation of British forces continues to accelerate we have live footage from RAF Northolt near London these appear to be typhoon fighter jets taking off in rapid sequence we have unconfirmed reports that RAF fighters have been sent to intercept Russian long-range bomber and surveillance aircraft we stressed that this is not confirmed but we will bring you as much information as possible as we receive it actually before one and for two for potential renegade ops Spectre 0-5 136 and 137 Scrabble Scrabble acknowledged this is quite a powerful image that weather obviously deteriorating some was clearly heading straight to a high altitude as and quickly as possible in a women of the Royal Air Force on their way into what must be a very uncertain future [Music] similar scenes from NATO military bases and command facilities across Europe clearly the military situation is a grave concern but we are limited in what we can report we've just heard that we can expect a live statement from NATO's Central Command in the next few minutes obviously we'll bring you that as it happens and we've just had news that the US ambassador and senior consulate staff are being evacuated from central London clearly something has gone terribly wrong heavily-armed u.s. Secret Service personnel are escorting US diplomatic staff to waiting helicopters and military aircraft we've just heard that the Pentagon and all major centers of government are being evacuated I'm not sure if that's Green Park or Sint James's Park in London or possibly Hyde Park the scenes are just unbelievable the sense of urgency is very clear they're getting out as quickly as possible now this is certainly a very frightening scene all US military bases in Europe have been ordered to get their remaining aircraft into the air in what appears to be a frightening escalation in the conflict and we're now going live to Brussels for a statement from NATO regional headquarters let's listen in to this live broadcast the sector general will we'll start and then we'll be able to take a few questions sector general the security environment in which we meet today is dark this nuclear saber-rattling of Russia is unjustified it's destabilizing and it's dangerous and this is something which we are addressing and it's also one of the reasons why we now are increasing the readiness and the preparedness of all forces and we are responding body by making sure that the NATO's in the future is an alliance which provides the parents and the protection for all allies against any threat and we've just had reports of a major detonation at Beale Air Force Base in California we've had amateur footage from a number of sources in Sacramento that clearly show a huge cloud from what appears to be a massive explosion in the distance Beale Air Force Base is part of the u.s. ballistic missile early warning system and is a very important strategic target we're receiving several videos and photos from news agencies indicating that something very serious has happened in California we're expecting a statement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency at any time now and we've just had a statement in from NATO Central Command Western forces have used battlefield nuclear weapons against advancing Russian troops in eastern Poland and have also confirmed the destruction of the Russian city of Kaliningrad which was a major military center and submarine base the Polish capital of Warsaw has been hit by a nuclear detonation estimated to be in the one Megaton range targeted at advanced NATO positions to the east of the city with no casualty figures as yet from its population of 1.7 million citizens American b-2 strategic bombers have attacked Russian military bases in Belarus and b-52 long-range bombers continue to approach Russian sovereign airspace a NATO spokesman has said that efforts to contain the conflict are ongoing and that the American and Russian presidents are in direct contact at this time the US president has assured the American public that everything is being done to resolve the situation peacefully and that the u.s. government remains confident that the conflict can be contained there are rumors that major Russian cities are being evacuated and that a national civil defense program is underway to move citizens to underground shelters and subway systems in Britain the Ministry of Defense has said that it continues to monitor the situation very closely and that all efforts are being made to ensure the safety and security of the United Kingdom the Prime Minister Theresa May is said to be gravely concerned about the escalating crisis but has asked the public to remain calm and to be confident that everything's being done to resolve the situation peacefully the Archbishop of Canterbury and other senior religious leaders have asked people to come together in prayer at this time of great peril and have faith that goodness will prevail over the forces of destruction and we've just had more breaking news that thermonuclear bombs of undetermined strength have exploded at NATO regional military headquarters in Brussels and at a major u.s. military and radar base in Wiesbaden in Germany resulting in the reported destruction of the city of mites and the outskirts of Frankfurt [Laughter] you Oh [Laughter] this is an emergency broadcast from the BBC confirmation of a nuclear attack against this country has been received please stand by for further information this is not a test [Laughter] this is an emergency broadcast from the BBC confirmation of a nuclear attack against this country has been received the threat level is extreme meaning that a major attack is imminent all airports and motorways have been closed for military use non-essential telephone lines have been disconnected civilians are advised to stay indoors please stand by for further information [Laughter] this is an emergency broadcast from the BBC the following locations have been confirmed by radar tracking as primary targets London Manchester Birmingham Liverpool Glasgow crew Portsmouth Cardiff Newcastle Leeds Oxford Sheffield Plymouth Edinburgh Hull Aberdeen Derby Coventry Folkestone Swansea Leicester hips which Dover Sellafield Perth Fallon Cambridge and Newport all major airports power stations and military bases across the country have also been identified as primary targets civilians are advised to seek immediate shelter in the most secure location in your home create an inner effuge if possible by stacking furniture mattresses or any heavy objects to protect you from the effects of blasts and fallout stay away from windows and external doors turn off all gas appliances and extinguish any open fires or flames gather as much drinking water and food as possible and store them in your inner refuge please stand by for further information [Laughter] this is an emergency broadcast from the BBC confirmation of a nuclear attack against this country has been received when nuclear impact is imminent the attack warning red signal will be broadcast the attack warning red signal will be sounded when nuclear impact is expected to occur within 90 seconds when you hear the attack warning red signal it means that your life is in danger and that you must act immediately seek immediate shelter in your inner refuge or in the most secure location available to you do not go out of doors do not stay in any location where you might be exposed to the direct flash from a nuclear detonation and do not look at the nuclear flash as this can cause permanent blindness or damage to eyesight right now you should focus on collecting water food and other essentials store them in your inner refuge collect any medical supplies clothing and bedding you might need bring a battery-powered radio if possible as this may be the only way of getting information after the primary attack gather books reading materials and a torch and batteries if you can you will need to remain in your in our refuge for at least 14 days due to the lethal effects of radioactive fallout please stand by for further information [Laughter] Oh this is an emergency broadcast from the BBC confirmation of a nuclear attack against this country has been received after the main nuclear attack is over it is unlikely that any rescue or firefighting resources will be available radioactive fallout and damage to infrastructure and transportation links will make it difficult for your local civil defense authority to reach you within the first week of an attack store your food and water carefully and use fresh produce first leaving canned or preserved foods for later do not leave your shelter to seek out medical assistance food or drinking water as radioactivity levels will be extremely dangerous for at least the first seven to ten days if you have any fatalities as a result of the attack you should wrap the body as tightly as possible in paper polythene sheets or blankets and move the body to a nearby attack warning read but a pollen med seek immediate shelter seek immediate shelter attack warning read attack warning read [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Dan Trigona

Views: 176,676

Rating: 4.8612289 out of 5

Keywords: BBC, fictional news report, Fictional armed conflict, fictional nuclear attack, Attack Warning Red

Id: VWqWAi_H_9o

Length: 55min 57sec (3357 seconds)

Published: Thu Jun 14 2018