Topline
The Russian military began preparations to conduct military drills using tactical nuclear weapons on Monday, months after the country’s President Vladimir Putin made repeated threats of nuclear escalation in the event of Western military intervention in Ukraine.
File Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is prepared to use nuclear weapons if ... [+]
Key Facts
Preparations for the exercise were being carried out on Putin’s orders, the Russian Defense Ministry told state-run news agency TASS.
As part of the drills, the Russian military’s “missile troops,” aircraft and naval forces will practice the deployment of “non-strategic nuclear-weapons.”
The defense ministry said the drills are being carried out in response to “provocative statements and threats by some Western officials against the Russian Federation.”
Russian authorities said the exercises will be conducted in the “immediate future” without specifying a date, although the announcement comes just a day before the inauguration of Putin’s fifth term in power.
Tangent
The key difference between tactical nuclear weapons and strategic nuclear weapons is their size and targets. Tactical weapons are usually smaller warheads that are less powerful and intended for use against battlefield targets instead of population centers. A recent State Department report said the U.S. no longer uses the term “tactical nuclear weapons” and called the word nonstrategic a “misnomer” as “the use of a nuclear weapon would fundamentally change the nature of a conflict.” In the past, President Joe Biden has warned Russia against deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Key Background
During his annual “State of the Nation” address in late February, Putin threatened to launch nuclear strikes against Western nations if any of them attempted to militarily intervene in Ukraine. The angry threats—Putin’s most explicit since the start of the Ukraine invasion—followed French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks that the deployment of NATO ground troops in Ukraine cannot be “ruled out.” Putin warned a nuclear war would result in the “destruction of civilization” as he lashed out against Western leaders, saying “they think it’s all some kind of cartoon for them.” In an interview a month later, Putin said Russia’s nuclear armament is “constantly in a state of combat readiness” and he would use them if anyone was threatening the “existence of the Russian state, harming our sovereignty and independence.”
Further Reading
Putin Says Russia Is Ready For Nuclear War If Its Existence Or Independence Is Threatened (Forbes)
Putin Warns Of Nuclear Strikes Against West If Nations Intervene Militarily In Ukraine (Forbes)
