Russia and Belarus Conduct Joint Tactical Nuclear Weapons Drills Amid Tensions with the West over Ukraine
Russia and Belarus have commenced the second stage of tactical nuclear weapons drills as part of Moscow's efforts to deter the West from escalating support for Ukraine. The exercises were announced following statements from French President Emmanuel Macron hinting at the possible deployment of troops to Ukraine, along with the United States and some NATO allies permitting Kyiv to utilize Western-supplied weapons near Russia's borders. The first drills, held a month ago, focused on nuclear mission preparation and missile deployment techniques. In the recently initiated exercises, the Russian Ministry of Defence disclosed that Russian and Belarusian troops will undergo joint training on nonstrategic nuclear weapons for combat scenarios. The primary objective of the training is to sustain personnel and equipment readiness to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the alliance between Russia and Belarus. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighted the tense situation in Europe, emphasizing the importance of such exercises to counter hostile actions by the US and its allies. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated the possibility of using nuclear weapons for defense in extreme circumstances. Tactical nuclear weapons, comprising air bombs, short-range missile warheads, and artillery munitions, are designed for battlefield applications and are typically less potent than strategic weapons like intercontinental ballistic missiles. Despite this, Putin has affirmed that Russia's battlefield nuclear arsenal surpasses the destructive capacity of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan by the US in 1945. Putin has also dismissed the notion that Russia would never utilize its atomic weapons and stressed that the country's nuclear doctrine permits their use when the existence of the state is under threat. US officials have noted no apparent shift in Russia's strategic posture; however, senior intelligence figures acknowledge the necessity of taking Moscow's nuclear warnings seriously. Russia and the US collectively possess around 88 percent of the world's nuclear weapons, as per data from the Federation of American Scientists. The latest joint drills between Russia and Belarus come amidst ongoing tensions in the region and heightened concerns over the potential use of nuclear arms.
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