Moscow: Russia recently conducted a drill involving the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, specifically focusing on the delivery of dummy nuclear warheads to strategic points and airfields where they were loaded onto bombers, as reported by Russia’s elite nuclear unit.
President Vladimir Putin ordered these drills in response to perceived threats from the West, citing statements from Western officials indicating potential support for Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory.
The exercises were held in southern Russia, bordering Ukraine, and involved personnel from the Leningrad military district in the northwest, alongside mobile missile launchers, the air force, and navy.
In an unusual move, Russia’s 12 Main Directorate (12 GU MO), responsible for managing and safeguarding Russia’s extensive nuclear arsenal, stated that the drills would be carefully analyzed to enhance operational readiness.
“The Directorate ensured the delivery of training nuclear munitions to field storage points of missile brigade positional areas and operational airfields of assault aviation,” the statement read. “Further enhancements in the training of non-strategic nuclear forces will be implemented to effectively respond to various military-political scenarios.”
Footage released by the defense ministry depicted Russian sailors targeting a dummy objective and initiating launch procedures, emphasizing readiness protocols amid heightened tensions.
Russia accuses the United States and its European allies of escalating global nuclear risks by supporting Ukraine with substantial military aid, including weapons reportedly deployed against Russian interests.
Signaling Intent
While major nuclear powers regularly conduct drills, Russia’s public linkage of these exercises to the Ukrainian crisis marks a rare and explicit move. By doing so, Russia aims to caution the United States and key European nations against facilitating Ukrainian capabilities with advanced weaponry, framing it as a potential escalation with serious repercussions.
The United States, while acknowledging Russia’s statements, asserts there has been no observed shift in Russia’s strategic posture. However, senior U.S. intelligence officials emphasize the necessity of taking Moscow’s nuclear rhetoric seriously.
According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia and the United States collectively possess approximately 88% of the world’s nuclear weapons. The United States maintains about 100 non-strategic B61 nuclear weapons across five European nations, with an additional 100 within its own borders, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
Estimates suggest Russia possesses around 1,558 non-strategic nuclear warheads, though exact figures remain obscured by secrecy. Putin recently stated that many of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons possess explosive yields of 70-75 kilotons, significantly surpassing the destructive power of the U.S. nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
