On Tuesday, Russia announced the commencement of tactical nuclear weapons drills near Ukraine, citing Western "threats" as the catalyst.
Throughout its two-year conflict with Ukraine, Moscow has frequently highlighted its nuclear arsenal and its willingness to deploy these weapons if it perceives an existential threat.
Western leaders have condemned President Vladimir Putin for what they see as reckless nuclear saber-rattling.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the drills are being conducted in the Southern Military District, which includes parts of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed. However, it did not specify the exact locations of the exercises.
According to the Defense Ministry, the drills are intended to test "the readiness of personnel and equipment of non-strategic nuclear weapons combat units to respond and to unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state." They characterized the drills as a "response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials."
Putin ordered these drills earlier in the month following a series of Western remarks on the Ukraine conflict that Moscow found objectionable.
Russian officials cited statements from French President Emmanuel Macron, who suggested NATO should not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, and British Foreign Minister David Cameron, who supported Kyiv's right to use Western missiles against Russian territory.
The Southern Military District, central to Russia's offensive against Ukraine, is headquartered in Rostov-on-Don, approximately 60 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. This district includes areas Russia claims to have annexed: Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.
Footage released by the Defense Ministry showed trucks transporting missiles to a field for launch system preparations and troops at an airfield preparing a bomber to carry a nuclear warhead.
The ministry described this as the "first stage" of the drills, which included practicing the loading of launch vehicles, driving to designated launch sites, and equipping planes with hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.
No information was provided on whether any test firings had occurred.
Tactical nuclear weapons, also known as non-strategic nuclear weapons, are designed for battlefield use and can be delivered via missiles.
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