The second stage of the exercise of non-strategic nuclear forces has begun, the Russian Defence Ministry announced, stating that they are directed against NATO and Western leaders.
"During the exercise, joint training missions of units of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus on the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons will be carried out," the Russian ministry said.
How does an exercise using non-strategic nuclear weapons proceed?
The exercise is being conducted at the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin and under the leadership of the General Staff in Moscow.
The purpose of the exercise is to maintain the readiness of military units for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons of the two countries, with the aim of ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia and Belarus.
The Russian Ministry of Defence recalled that during the first stage, the personnel of the missile formations of the Southern Military District worked on transporting special ammunition (possibly nuclear warheads) for the Iskander missiles, equipping launch vehicles with them and moving them secretly to the launch area.
Russian Air Force units practiced equipping combat units with aircraft , including the launching of supersonic Kinzhal missiles, and patrol missions.
The President described the exercises as a "planned mission". The Russian Foreign Ministry said the exercises should be considered in the context of bellicose statements by Western politicians and destabilizing actions by NATO.
Tactical nuclear weapons are designed for use on the battlefield, as opposed to strategic warheads designed to obliterate entire enemy cities
Belarusian President Lukashenko said in April that dozens of Russian nuclear weapons had been deployed in Belarus as part of a deal announced last year by him and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield, not against cities and civilians as strategic ones are.
Today Russia has the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons on the planet. At the same time, it also operates several non-strategic nuclear weapons, such as the notorious Iskander ballistic missiles which can be equipped with nuclear warheads. The nuclear-armed Iskander is considered a tactical nuclear weapon.
As mentioned above, the Russian Defence Ministry has said that nuclear exercises by Russian troops will be a response to recent threats made by Western officials against Moscow.
Such threats may include, among others, the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron about the possible deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine if the Russian army breaks the Ukrainian defence line on the front. Of course, Macron is not the only Western official to make such provocative statements.
