Russia’s military on Tuesday started exercises involving nuclear weapons that were announced by the Russians just now in an apparent warning to senior Western figures who had talked about their possible increased involvement in the war in Ukraine.
It was first ever publicly announced drills of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia although its strategic nuclear forces hold regular trainings.
According to the Defense Ministry’s statement published on Tuesday, the first stage of the new drills provided for “practical training in preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons” such as Kinzhal and Iskander missiles capable of carrying a nuclear payload.
The maneuvers will be conducted in Southern Military District which includes Russian regions in south including bordering with Ukraine; the illegally annexed Crimea and four Ukrainian regions integrated into Russia also illegally but partially from 2022.
The announcement regarding these exercises has been made on May 6, 2015 through a statement by The Defence Ministry. The ministry argued that it was meant to respond to “provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation.”
Tactical nuclear arms encompass air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions devised for battlefield use. They are not as potent as strategic weapons – massive warheads carried by intercontinental ballistic missiles intended to completely destroy entire cities.
This came after French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not exclude sending troops to Ukraine again while UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Kyiv’s forces will have access to long range British missiles that can hit targets inside Russia. The Kremlin dismissed them as dangerous escalating tension between Moscow and NATO.
Dmitry Peskov Kremlin spokesman said on May 6 that Macron’s speech and others from Britain, US had forced their hand into bringing about this step calling it “a new round of escalation”.
