What the March 2021 strikes and UK review signalled about Russia
A look back at two reports, from 16 and 21 March 2021, that put Russia at the centre of security debates.
What did Russia's military posture look like in the days leading up to 22 March 2021? Two reports from the preceding week offer a snapshot, and both bear on how Kyiv's wider neighbourhood was being assessed.
On 16 March 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the UK's nuclear arsenal would rise from 180 to 260 warheads. He also said British foreign policy would shift its focus to the Indo-Pacific region while the country remained committed to NATO. The government's review identified Russia as the "most acute threat" to British security.
On 21 March 2021, Turkey's Ministry of National Defense reported that Russian jets had struck gas facilities in the town of Sarmada, in Idlib Governorate near the Turkish border. It said a surface-to-surface missile had also hit Qah. Turkey said it had sent Russia a statement asking for the attacks to stop immediately.
Taken together, the two reports show Russia described as a threat in London's official review and accused by Ankara of strikes close to Turkey's frontier, all within one week. For readers in Ukraine, the reports were a reminder that Russian military activity was being scrutinised by governments well beyond the region.
