MOSCOW, July 28. /TASS/. NATO's new €27 billion fuel infrastructure, planned for deployment near the borders of Russia and Belarus, is critically vulnerable to precision strikes because Cold War-era networks were not designed to withstand modern weaponry, military expert Boris Rozhin wrote in an op-ed for TASS.

According to Rozhin, ambassadors from the 32 NATO member states approved the modernization project in July. The plan involves upgrading 10,000 kilometers of pipelines and constructing new networks, primarily in the Baltic states, Poland, and Romania. While the alliance aims to complete the project by 2030, experts warn that delays could push the timeline into the 2040s.

"In today's reality, this infrastructure has proven to be critically vulnerable. The conflict in Ukraine clearly demonstrates that sprawling and insufficiently buried fuel and lubricant facilities are easily destroyed by precision-guided weapons," Rozhin wrote.

According to Rozhin, the foundation of the system is the Central Europe Pipeline System (CEPS) network which spans approximately 5,300 kilometers, with pipeline diameters ranging from 6 to 12 inches, built back in the 1950s. Their burial depth of 1 to 1.5 meters was considered sufficient due to the Soviet Union's lack of precision-guided weapons. However, in a direct conflict scenario today, these fuel arteries would become priority targets.

Although the modernization plan has been approved, its implementation faces major hurdles: Western European nations are reluctant to invest, the project relies heavily on loan financing, and various estimates suggest the full modernization timeline could stretch into the 2040s or even 2060s. Nevertheless, attempts are being made to fast-track the project, aiming for partial commissioning by 2030--a date NATO regards as the milestone for full readiness for a hot war with Russia. Rozhin believes that logistical capabilities for fuel delivery to the Baltic states and Poland will be prioritized first.

As a minimum objective, the expert notes, the pipeline project serves as a tool for military and political pressure on Moscow, while its maximum objective is preparation for direct aggression.

"The key tools for neutralizing the alliance's fuel network would likely be coordinated strikes by high-precision missiles from the Russian Aerospace Forces and Navy, the deployment of long-range attack drones, as well as surgical strikes against critical elements of the distribution network and enemy fuel storage facilities," Rozhin concludes.

"The key tools for neutralizing the alliance's fuel network will likely be coordinated strikes by high-precision missiles from the Aerospace Forces and Navy, the deployment of long-range attack drones, as well as surgical strikes against critical elements of the distribution network and enemy fuel storage facilities," Rozhin concludes.