On Monday, Russia announced its intention to conduct drills involving the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in response to perceived threats from France, Britain, and the United States.
Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, Russia has consistently issued warnings about the increasing nuclear risks. These warnings have been taken seriously by the United States, although US officials claim to have observed no changes in Russia’s nuclear stance.
According to Russia, the US and its European allies are pushing the world towards a dangerous confrontation between nuclear powers by providing Ukraine with substantial amounts of weaponry, some of which is being used against Russian territory.
In response, Russia’s defense ministry has announced military drills that will involve practicing the preparation and deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons. These exercises have been ordered by President Vladimir Putin, as stated by the ministry.
“The upcoming drills will involve a series of activities aimed at practicing the preparation and utilization of non-strategic nuclear weapons,” the ministry stated.
Furthermore, the missile forces in the Southern Military District, along with the aviation and navy, will participate in these drills.
The purpose of the exercise is to safeguard Russia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty in response to provocative statements and threats made by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation. Russia and the United States possess the largest number of nuclear warheads globally, with a combined total of over 10,600 out of the world’s 12,100. China possesses the third-largest nuclear arsenal, followed by France and Britain.
According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has approximately 1,558 non-strategic nuclear warheads. However, the exact figures for these weapons are uncertain due to a lack of transparency.
Since the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, no country has utilized nuclear weapons in warfare.
While major nuclear powers regularly inspect their nuclear weapons, they rarely publicly associate such exercises with specific perceived threats, as Russia has done.
Nuclear risks
Last year, US President Joe Biden expressed his belief that the likelihood of Russia utilizing nuclear weapons was minimal. However, CNN has reported that top US officials have engaged in contingency planning for a potential Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine in 2022.
Certain Western and Ukrainian officials have suggested that Russia is employing nuclear weapons as a bluff to intimidate the West. Nevertheless, the Kremlin has consistently indicated that it would consider disregarding the nuclear taboo if Russia’s existence was jeopardized.
Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence, stated, “Nuclear blackmail is a recurring tactic of Putin’s regime. We perceive no novelty in this situation.”
The statement issued by the defense ministry, which is overseen by Sergei Shoigu, a longstanding ally of Putin, did not specify the particular Western officials it was referring to. The Kremlin stated that it was in response to remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron, British officials, and a representative of the US Senate.
Macron has publicly entertained the notion of deploying European troops to combat Russia in Ukraine, while British Foreign Secretary David Cameron asserted that Ukraine possessed the right to employ weapons provided by London to target locations within Russia.
Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the recent Western declarations regarding the potential deployment of Nato troops to Ukraine signify a significant escalation of tensions. This situation is unparalleled and demands particular focus and actions.
In March, Putin cautioned the Western nations that a direct confrontation between Russia and the US-led Nato alliance would bring the world dangerously close to a scenario of World War Three. However, he noted that very few individuals actually desire such a catastrophic outcome.
War games
Nato, established in 1949 to ensure collective security against the Soviet Union, is currently conducting the “Steadfast Defender” exercise, its largest since the conclusion of the Cold War. Nato has not disclosed whether the exercise will involve any practice of nuclear scenarios.
A nuclear command exercise carried out by Nato in 1983 sparked concerns at the highest levels of the Kremlin that the US was preparing for a sudden nuclear strike.
Putin has been urged by some hardliners within Russia to revise the country’s nuclear doctrine, which outlines the circumstances under which Russia would employ a nuclear weapon. However, Putin stated last year that he saw no necessity for any changes.
In general, the doctrine specifies that such a weapon would be utilized in response to an attack involving nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, or the use of conventional weapons against Russia “when the very existence of the state is put under threat”.
Putin portrays the conflict as part of a centuries-old struggle with the West, which he claims humiliated Russia following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 by expanding Nato and encroaching on what Moscow views as Russia’s historical sphere of influence.
Ukraine and its Western supporters argue that the conflict is an imperialistic land grab by a corrupt regime. Western leaders have pledged to strive for a defeat of Russian forces in Ukraine, while ruling out any deployment of Nato troops in the region.
