Russia begins ‘tactical nuclear drills’ close to Ukraine border | Nuclear Weapons Information

‘First stage’ of workouts entails Iskander and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and is seen as a warning to Ukraine’s Western allies.

Russia has begun the primary stage of tactical nuclear weapons drills, involving Iskander and Kinzhal missiles, in areas bordering Ukraine.

The Russian Ministry of Defence mentioned on Tuesday that the drills had been going down in its Southern Army District, which borders and consists of components of Ukraine that Moscow has occupied and illegally annexed since its full-scale invasion started in February 2022.

The ministry didn’t give the precise location of the workouts.

Belarus, the place Russia mentioned final yr it was deploying tactical nuclear weapons, can be anticipated to participate.

Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has repeatedly talked up its arsenal of nuclear weapons and its readiness to deploy them within the face of a safety menace.

Nuclear analysts say the workouts are designed as a warning sign by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to discourage Ukraine’s Western allies, which have offered weapons and intelligence to Kyiv, from wading extra deeply into the struggle.

The workouts are to make sure that items and tools are prepared for “the fight use of non-strategic nuclear weapons to reply and unconditionally make sure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of particular person Western officers in opposition to the Russian Federation”, the ministry mentioned.

Putin ordered the drills after Western politicians prompt they may be keen to go additional of their help of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned he had not dominated out deploying troops to Ukraine below sure circumstances, whereas the UK’s overseas minister, David Cameron, mentioned Kyiv had the fitting to fireside Western missiles at Russian territory.

Russia’s Southern Army District is the command centre for its offensive on Ukraine, with its headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, 60km (40 miles) from the border with Ukraine.

The Defence Ministry printed footage displaying vans carrying missiles to a subject the place launch programs had been ready and troops at an airfield readying a bomber to hold a nuclear warhead.

It mentioned the drills concerned practising the loading of launch automobiles, driving to designated launch websites and loading planes with Kinzhal missiles, that are hypersonic weapons.

It didn’t point out whether or not any take a look at firings had taken place.

“The workouts are, clearly, a sign in response to dialogue of NATO international locations’ troops in Ukraine,” Nikolai Sokov, a former Soviet and Russian arms management official, informed the Reuters information company. “Crucial options are advance announcement and visibility.”

Western militaries can be watching the workouts intently and looking for to attract conclusions about how a lot warning time they might have if Russia deployed such weapons for actual, he mentioned.

Tactical nuclear weapons, also referred to as non-strategic nuclear weapons, are designed to be used on the battlefield and have huge harmful potential.

Russia has about 1,558 non-strategic nuclear warheads, in accordance with the Federation of American Scientists, though there’s uncertainty in regards to the precise figures.