Russia begins third round of nuclear weapons drills

Moscow. Russia announced on Wednesday that it has started the third phase of exercises in the use of strategic nuclear weapons. According to the Ministry of Defence, the exercises are being conducted in the central and southern regions, the North Caucasus and Crimea, which is annexed by Russia, as well as four regions in southern and eastern Ukraine.
Exercises are also being conducted in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, where Moscow is the headquarters for military operations in Ukraine. The information that the third phase of the non-strategic nuclear exercise has started was announced by the Ministry of Defense of Russia through a statement. According to the ministry, the exercise phase includes training on the use of Iskander-M missile system and various aircraft.

According to the ministry, the military personnel involved in the exercise will undergo training to acquire ‘special ammunition’, decorate missile systems and planes. According to the Kremlin, after French President Emmanuel Macron expressed the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin ordered these exercises to be conducted in part in early May in response to threats from Western nations.

The first phase of the exercise began in May. Since the beginning of the conflict, Putin has even warned of the possible use of nuclear weapons. In May, Minsk, Belarus, announced joint military exercises with Moscow to test tactical nuclear weapons launchers.