Russian troops initiated significant exercises to guarantee their readiness for the potential deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield, as Moscow issued a warning regarding an advancing threat from Western allies.
On Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video that depicted soldiers practicing the attaching of missiles and warheads to fighter jets and the backs of armored trucks that are equipped with missile-firing systems.
Russian troops have initiated the initial phase of “practical testing” of tactical nuclear weapons in the southern military district, which encompasses Russia’s southwestern regions, including those that border Ukraine, according to a Telegram post from the ministry.
In a mock demonstration, troops are preparing to load vehicles with Iskander ballistic missiles and then drive them to designated areas while in missile formations.
Fighter aircraft were equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and special warheads by aviation personnel, who then flew them to designated locations.
The exercises are expected to exacerbate tensions with the United States and reignite concerns that Russia is prepared to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Tactical nuclear weapons typically have a lower yield than larger, strategic nuclear weapons; however, they can still deliver up to 100 kilotons of yield, which is significantly more than the U.S. bombs that were detonated on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In the midst of the conflict in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued numerous nuclear weapons threats to the West.
Additionally, last year, he initiated the transfer of tactical nuclear weapons to his ally, Belarus, thereby bringing them closer to NATO territory.
Russia has repeated threatened to use nuclear weapons if Western Troops enter Ukraine.
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