Moscow, July 31, 2024, The Europe Today: According to NHC, the Russian Armed Forces have initiated the third stage of drills focused on the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday. This phase involves the Central and Southern Military Districts and personnel from the Aerospace Forces.
Announced in May, these drills are a response to what the Kremlin describes as the West’s continued escalatory actions and NATO’s encroachment on Russia’s borders, prompting a need to maintain combat readiness. Previous stages were conducted in conjunction with the Belarusian Armed Forces.
During this latest round, Russian servicemen will undertake combat training tasks involving “special training ammunition” for the Iskander-M missile systems. This includes equipping the ammunition to launch vehicles and covertly deploying to designated positions for electronic launch preparations. Additionally, personnel from the Aerospace Forces aviation units will practice equipping aviation weapons with special combat units and flying to designated patrol areas.
The Defense Ministry emphasized that this stage of the exercise aims to ensure that Russian military personnel and equipment remain prepared for the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons to carry out combat missions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously described these drills as “normal practice,” necessary for maintaining Russia’s combat readiness at “the proper level.” Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia intends to update its nuclear arsenal, as it remains the primary guarantor of national security. Putin has warned that Russia would use all means available to defend itself if the state’s existence is ever threatened.
However, Putin has repeatedly acknowledged the dire consequences of any conflict involving nuclear weapons for humanity. He stressed that Russia is not “brandishing” its arsenal and hopes that “it will never come” to an actual nuclear exchange between Moscow and the West.
