Russia plans to hold exercises that simulate the use of tactical nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced on Monday, a few days after the Kremlin reacted with indignation to statements by high-level Western officials about the war in Ukraine, reports Associated Press.
“During the exercise, a series of measures will be taken to train in the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement published on Telegram.
The exercises respond to “provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation,” the statement said.
He added that the measure was taken “on the instructions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” Vladimir Putin.
The exercises will include the Air Force, Navy, and Forces of the Southern Military District, which is based very close to Ukraine and covers the annexed “Ukrainian” regions.
It is the first time Russia has publicly announced tactical nuclear weapons drills, although its strategic nuclear forces conduct drills regularly. Tactical nuclear weapons are lower in power than the huge warheads used by intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to destroy entire cities.
The date and place of the exercises was not specified.
For its part, the Kremlin claimed that the drills were a response to Western comments about sending troops to Ukraine.
“It is obvious that we are talking about statements by Mr. Macron and statements by British representatives,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked by reporters what had motivated the drills.
“They are talking about the willingness and even the intention to send armed contingents to Ukraine, that is, in fact, to put NATO soldiers in front of the Russian military,” he added. “This is a completely new round of escalation of tensions. It is unprecedented and requires special measures”.
French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated last week that he has not ruled out sending troops to Ukraine, and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Kiev forces will be able to use long-range British weapons to hit targets inside Russia. The Kremlin called these statements dangerous, increasing tensions between Russia and NATO.
Non-strategic nuclear weapons, also known as tactical nuclear weapons, are designed for use on the battlefield and can be delivered by missiles.
Putin has increased his nuclear rhetoric, warning in a speech to the nation in February that there was a “real” risk of nuclear war.
In October 2023, Russia announced that Putin supervised ballistic missile launches during military maneuvers intended to simulate “a massive nuclear attack” by Moscow.
The announcement came as authorities in the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, reported the deadliest Ukrainian drone strike in weeks, as Kyiv claimed that Russian strikes had left hundreds of thousands of people without power.
