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Putin Orders Russian Drills on Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons Amid NATO Tensions

May 6, 2024, 08:43 AM

Russia's Defence Ministry has announced plans to conduct military exercises involving tactical nuclear weapons in response to what it perceives as provocations from Western nations. These drills, personally ordered by President Vladimir Putin, will include the deployment and operational use of non-strategic nuclear weapons by missile units and naval forces of the Southern Military District, aiming to increase the readiness of these forces. The exercises are scheduled to occur as tensions between NATO and Russia escalate, particularly regarding the situation in Ukraine. This announcement comes just before Putin's inauguration for a fifth term.