The Russian military commenced a third set of drills involving tactical nuclear weapons on Wednesday as part of the country’s efforts to pressure the West to reduce its support for Ukraine. The drills, led by units from the central and southern military districts, will focus on the use of Iskander short-range missiles. Activities will include practice sessions on receiving nuclear weapons from storage and deploying them to designated launch areas. Air force units will also participate in the maneuvers, arming their warplanes with nuclear weapons and conducting patrol flights.
These drills are primarily aimed at ensuring the readiness of troops for potential combat missions. Tactical nuclear weapons, such as bombs, warheads for short-range missiles, and artillery munitions, are designed for battlefield use and are generally less potent than strategic weapons used in intercontinental ballistic missiles to target entire cities. Previous rounds of maneuvers took place in May and June, with the June exercises carried out alongside Belarus’ armed forces.
Last year, Russia relocated some tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, a country that borders Ukraine and NATO members like Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania. Belarus’ President, Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia, allowed his country to be a base for sending troops to Ukraine in February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his officials have frequently referenced Russia’s nuclear capabilities to deter NATO from increasing support to Kyiv.
The drills involving tactical nuclear weapons are presented by the Kremlin as a response to statements from NATO allies discussing potential strikes on Russian territory with Western weapons and the prospect of deploying Western troops to Ukraine. Despite recent advances in Ukraine, Putin has stated that Russia can achieve its objectives without nuclear weapons but reiterated their potential use in defending Russia’s territorial integrity according to the country’s nuclear doctrine.
There have been calls from Russian hawks to revise the nuclear doctrine to allow for a lower threshold for using nuclear weapons. Putin noted that the doctrine could be updated to reflect changes in the global landscape.
