Russia announced on Thursday that it had launched nuclear-capable missiles and distributed nuclear munitions to some military units as part of major strategic exercises conducted with Belarus. This show of force comes as tensions with NATO continue to escalate over the war in Ukraine and drone incidents in the Baltic region.
According to Moscow, these maneuvers are among the largest nuclear exercises organized by Russia in recent years. They involve approximately 64,000 military personnel and aim to train the armed forces in the "preparation and use of nuclear force in the event of aggression."
The exercises are being conducted jointly with Belarus, a close ally of the Kremlin. Images released by the Russian Ministry of Defense show, in particular, nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles being deployed on Belarusian territory.
During a meeting at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the use of nuclear weapons should remain an "exceptional" measure and a "last resort." He was speaking in the presence of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, and top Russian military officials.
Vladimir Putin also stressed the role of the Russian-Belarusian nuclear triad, which he considers an essential guarantee of the sovereignty of both countries in the face of "the emergence of new threats and new risks" in the world.
These maneuvers take place against a backdrop of particularly high tensions between Moscow and Western countries. Military incidents and drone activity observed in the Baltic Sea have heightened concerns about an escalation between Russia and NATO, while the war in Ukraine continues to fuel diplomatic and military confrontations between the two sides.
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