Russia Announces Nuclear Weapon Drills after ‘Provocative’ Western Threats
Russia President Vladimir Putin has ordered new nuclear weapons drills that will include practice for the use of tactical nuclear weapons, days after top European leaders voiced stronger military support for Ukraine.
The Kremlin said on Monday the military exercises ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin were in response to statements by Western and NATO-member countries about sending troops into Ukraine, which Russia invaded more than two years ago.
They will include practice for the preparation and deployment of nonstrategic nuclear weapons intended to “increase the readiness … to fulfill combat tasks” after “provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials”, the Ministry of Defence said.
Missile formations in the Southern Military District and naval forces will take part in the drills, which would take place “in the near future”, it added.
Russia’s strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises but the statement marked the first public announcement of drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, which are usually smaller in yield – the amount of power released during an explosion – than the strategic nuclear weapons designed to destroy entire cities.
The move marks an escalation of tensions that have risen since French President Emmanuel Macron said last week that his country would consider sending ground troops to Ukraine if Kyiv requests backup. A day later, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Ukraine could use British weapons against targets inside Russia if it wanted.
Russian officials condemned both statements and warned Moscow would retaliate to what they called a “dangerous escalation trend”. Moscow has long warned that conflict with NATO would become inevitable if European members of the military alliance sent in their soldiers to fight in Ukraine.
Relations between Western countries, led by the United States, and Russia broke down after Russian forces invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.
Since the war began, Russia has repeatedly warned of rising nuclear risks – warnings which the US says it has to take seriously though its officials note they have seen no change in Russia’s nuclear posture.
Russia and the US are by far the world’s biggest nuclear powers, holding more than 10,600 of the world’s 12,100 nuclear warheads. China has the third largest nuclear arsenal, followed by France and the United Kingdom.
