Russia announced on Monday its intention to conduct military exercises involving the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, citing alleged threats from France, Britain, and the US.
Ever since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been issuing warnings about the escalating nuclear risks, a concern that the US acknowledges as serious. However, American officials have not observed any changes in Russia’s nuclear stance.
Accusing the US and its European allies of fueling tensions by providing substantial military aid to Ukraine, Russia claims that this support is pushing the world towards a dangerous confrontation between nuclear-armed nations.
The Russian defense ministry confirmed that the upcoming military drills will include training for the preparation and potential use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, with President Vladimir Putin having given the order for these exercises.
The ministry stated that a series of measures will be conducted during the exercise to practice the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. Participating in the exercise will be the missile forces in the Southern Military District, as well as aviation and the navy, according to the defense ministry.
The main objective of the exercise is to safeguard Russia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, in response to provocative statements and threats made by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation. It is worth noting that Russia and the US are the two largest nuclear powers globally, possessing over 10,600 of the world’s 12,100 nuclear warheads. China holds the third-largest nuclear arsenal, followed by France and Britain.
According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia currently possesses approximately 1,558 non-strategic nuclear warheads. However, due to a lack of transparency, there is some uncertainty regarding the exact figures for such weapons. It is important to highlight that nuclear weapons have not been used in warfare since the United States deployed the first atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
While major nuclear powers routinely conduct checks on their nuclear weapons, they rarely publicly associate these exercises with specific perceived threats, as Russia has done in this case. Last year, US President Joe Biden expressed his belief that there was no real likelihood of Russia utilizing nuclear weapons. However, CNN reported that top US officials engaged in contingency planning for a potential Russian nuclear strike against Ukraine in 2022.
Certain Western and Ukrainian officials have suggested that Russia’s claims regarding nuclear weapons may be a bluff intended to intimidate the West. Nevertheless, the Kremlin has repeatedly indicated that it would consider breaking the nuclear taboo if Russia’s existence was threatened. Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov stated, “We do not see anything new here. Nuclear blackmail is a constant practice of Putin’s regime.”
The defense ministry did not specify the particular Western officials mentioned in its statement.
