Putin Orders Tactical Nuclear Weapons Exercises, What’s Going On?

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Russia orders tactical nuclear weapons drills. Photo/

MOSCOW – Russia ordered the Armed Forces to hold military drills that included exercises in the use of tactical nuclear weapons after what the defense ministry said were provocative threats from Western officials.

The Defense Ministry said the drills were ordered by President Vladimir Putin and would test the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to carry out combat missions.

“The military exercises will include preparation and deployment exercises for non-strategic nuclear weapons,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. Missile formations in the Southern Military District and the Navy will take part.

“During the exercise, a series of actions will be carried out to practice the issues of preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons,” said a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, reported by Al Arabiya.

The drill aims to ensure Russia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty “in response to provocative statements and threats made by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation.”

However, they did not name the officials. But Russia has repeatedly said that French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements about possible French intervention in Ukraine were dangerous.

Russia says the United States and its European allies are pushing the world to the brink of confrontation between nuclear powers by supporting Ukraine with weapons worth tens of billions of dollars in its fight against Russian forces who invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Nuclear states routinely inspect their nuclear weapons, but rarely openly link the exercises to any particular threat.