Russia begins tactical nuclear exercises

Troops of Russia's Southern Military District began the first phase of recently announced tactical nuclear exercises on Tuesday, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow confirmed.

The ministry, which announced the exercise a week ago, said the exercise would serve as a deterrent against ongoing escalation between Russia and the West by demonstrating Russia's ability to respond to any external threat. It was explained that the purpose was to

This includes transporting nuclear weapons from storage facilities to the military, arming tactical nuclear missiles and preparing missile launches, the Russian government announced in a cable.

The military will deploy the Iskander-M system, which can launch either the 9M723-1 ballistic missile or the 9M728 cruise missile, both of which can carry tactical nuclear warheads with warheads between 5 and 50 kilotons.

According to the military, troops from the Southern Military District will also train in covert operations using the system as part of launch preparation exercises. The exercise will also include the nuclear armament of air-launched missiles, including the state-of-the-art Kinjal hypersonic missile. The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile and Kh-32 cruise missile launched by Russian bombers can carry warheads similar to those carried by Iskander projectiles. The ministry said Russian aircraft will fly patrol missions carrying these missiles during the exercise.

Video released by the military shows the crews of several Iskander-M systems equipping missiles and preparing for launch.

The Russian government announced the exercise in early May, citing a "new" and "unprecedented" escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. The Kremlin cited statements by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has repeatedly refused to rule out a NATO mission in Ukraine.

Similar thoughts were expressed by U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Former British Prime Minister and current Foreign Secretary David Cameron also recently said Kiev had the right to use British weapons to attack targets deep in Russia. In response, the Russian government summoned the British ambassador and warned him of a possible response to such an attack.

Russia's Foreign Ministry later said the drills should be seen as an attempt to quell "impatient people" in the West in the face of "bellicose statements" and "destabilizing actions" by NATO countries. The Southern Military District, where the exercises are being held, covers southern European Russia, mainly located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, and has a total of 19 areas, including Crimea and four areas of the former Ukrainian territory that became Russia in 2016. Includes region. Fall 2022 has been added.