Russia begins nuclear drills near border with Ukraine in warning to West
Russia has begun major drills involving tactical nuclear weapons around the border of Ukraine, blaming vague “threats” from Western leaders.
Russia’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday announced the drills were taking place in its Southern Military District, which borders and includes parts of Ukraine that Moscow claims to have annexed.
The new drills will test “the readiness of personnel and equipment of non-strategic nuclear weapons combat units to respond and to unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state,” the Defense Ministry said.
Officials added that the latest drills were a “response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation.”
Russian officials specifically pointed to comments by French President Emmanuel Macron about NATO countries not ruling out sending troops to Ukraine and UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron saying Kyiv had the right to fire Western missiles at Russian territory.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this month that Macron’s statement — and similar remarks by British and US officials — prompted such nuclear drills, calling the remarks “a new round of escalation.”
The maneuvers are taking place in the Southern Military District, which sits about 37 miles from the border with Ukraine, and includes part of the country Russia says it has annexed — the Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Russia’s Defense Ministry says the “first stage” of the drills involves practicing loading launch vehicles, driving to designated launch sites and loading planes with Kinzhal missiles.
Officials have published footage showing troops preparing to carry out the practice.
With Post wires.
