A circulating online report is raising eyebrows in Texas after naming the Pantex Plant northeast of Amarillo among seven U.S. locations analysts say could be high-priority targets if a nuclear conflict with Russia ever escalated to a direct attack on American soil.
The seven sites listed in the report include the Pentagon, Camp David, Jim Creek Naval Radio Station in Washington state, Fort Ritchie in Maryland, McClellan Air Force Base in California, Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, and the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas.
The Pantex Plant serves as the U.S. government's primary nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility - making it one of the most strategically sensitive installations in the country and a logical inclusion on any adversary's targeting analysis.
The map of potential targets was originally presented on Russian state television by presenter Vesti Nedeli, which outlined locations Moscow would reportedly look to strike in a nuclear war. The report indicated Russia could use hypersonic missiles capable of reaching their intended targets within five minutes.
Defense analysts are quick to note important caveats about the list's credibility. McClellan Air Force Base in California closed in 2001 and Fort Ritchie closed in 1998 - yet both appeared on the list, which analysts suggest could reflect outdated Russian intelligence or deliberate misdirection.
Fort Ritchie's inclusion may be more strategic than it appears: the decommissioned base sits near the Raven Rock Mountain Complex, which functions as a backup underground Pentagon in the event of a national emergency.
The broader threat picture has been well-documented by independent researchers. Princeton University's Science and Global Security program has modeled a plausible escalating war between the United States and Russia using realistic nuclear force postures, estimating more than 90 million people could be killed or injured within the first few hours of such a conflict.
Russia currently maintains nearly 5,460 nuclear warheads, with approximately 1,718 deployed, making it the world's largest nuclear power alongside the United States.
U.S. officials have consistently said they see no signs that Russia is actively preparing a nuclear attack. The Department of Defense, the Pentagon, and FEMA have not issued any new guidance or elevated alerts in connection with the circulating report. Experts emphasize the list reflects theoretical targeting analysis - not intelligence indicating an imminent threat.
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