(DailyDig.com) – The Russian military has started to officially hold drills for launching nuclear weapons on the battlefield, as announced on May 21. Normally, Russian troops engage in tactical weapon drills, but the recent announcement from Russian authorities serves as a warning to Western officials who have expressed interest in further involvement in Russia’s war with Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry of Moscow confirmed that the drills will include transporting nuclear weapons to their troops and deploying them covertly as they prepare to strike.
The Kremlin warned the Western nations earlier this spring that they would not allow NATO to function near the border with Russia. Recent statements by Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, that he will not preclude allowing NATO to deploy in Ukraine have given rise to Moscow’s warning of any new escalation in Ukraine’s war with them.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry clarified that their drill exercises serve as a warning to prevent the West from escalating the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. They aim to interpret the exercises as Russia’s reaction to potential threats to their country posed by other nations joining Ukraine in the conflict.
The Ministry further stated that as part of their drills, their troops will receive nuclear weapons from storage and arm the missiles in preparation for launch.
The system they use, the Iskander-M, will be able to fire ballistic missiles, such as 9M728 or 9M723-1 cruise missiles. They are both able to carry nuclear warheads that are between five and fifty kilotons. For the drills in preparation for launching the tactical warheads, the Southern Military District troops will drill on the covert deployment procedure for the use of the delivery system, according to the military.
Through the discourse between all parties in the conflict, Russia perceives the West to be in a proxy war with them, as it becomes clear that some are pushing for an escalation in the war. The Russian Ministry stated that their drills should be seen as an attempt to deter any potential warmongers from pursuing actions that could destabilize the two nations.
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