Russia Holds Tactical Nuclear Weapons Exercise: Deploys Iskander and Kinzhal Missiles

JAKARTA - The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it has started the first phase of military training for the preparation and use of tactical nuclear weapons.

"Under the orders of the commander-in-chief, military exercises involving the practice of preparation and use of tactical nuclear weapons began in the Southern military district under the supervision of the General Staff," the ministry said, as reported by TASS, May 22.

During the exercise, missile troops practiced preparations for the use of the Iskander tactical missile system. Meanwhile, the air force will equip aviation weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles with special payloads, and will head to their patrol areas.

The ministry underlined that the exercise was carried out in response to provocative statements made by Western officials and aimed to maintain response readiness and ensure national sovereignty.

It aims to ensure that units and equipment are ready for "non-strategic use of nuclear weapons in combat to respond to and unconditionally guarantee the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and individual threats by Western officials against the Russian Federation," the ministry said, quoted from Reuters.

The drills involved missile forces in Russia's Southern Military District, which lies adjacent to Ukraine and also includes parts of Ukraine now controlled by Russia.

Belarus, where Russia said last year it was deploying tactical nuclear weapons, would also be involved, the two countries said.

"The drills are clearly a signal in response to discussions regarding NATO forces in Ukraine. The most important feature is the announcement and advance visibility," said Nikolai Sokov, a former Soviet and Russian arms control official.

When President Vladimir Putin ordered the drills this month, Russia's Foreign Ministry linked them to comments by France's Macron, who floated the possibility of sending European troops to fight Moscow in Ukraine. Then there was British Foreign Minister David Cameron, who said Kyiv had the right to use weapons provided by London to attack targets in Russia. The statement also mentioned the provision of British, French, and US long-range ATACMS missiles to Kyiv.

It is known that tactical, or non-strategic, nuclear weapons are not as powerful as strategic weapons designed to destroy entire enemy cities. However, this weapon has enormous destructive potential.

Russia has about 1,558 non-strategic nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists, although there is uncertainty about the exact number. They are controlled by the 12th Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, known as the 12th GUMO.