(Dan Tri) – Russia is said to want to send a tough message to Ukraine and the West when conducting tactical nuclear weapons exercises.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Reuters).
The Kremlin on May 6 announced that the Russian military’s tactical nuclear weapons exercises were directly related to statements by French, British and American officials and lawmakers about their readiness to deploy.
`These provocations require special attention and special measures,` Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about the purpose of the upcoming exercises.
The Russian Ministry of Defense previously said that the tactical nuclear missile exercises will aim to `maintain the readiness of human resources and equipment of units to use non-strategic nuclear weapons in response to
The Russian exercise is being conducted as Steadfast Defender, NATO’s largest military exercise since the 1980s, takes place across Europe, including near Russia’s borders.
Unlike its strategic nuclear arsenal, Russia’s tactical nuclear arsenal is not limited by treaties.
Tactical nuclear munitions could also be mounted on Russia’s strategic missile defense systems, including the A-135 protecting Moscow and reportedly the mobile S-300 and S-400 systems.
However, Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons are also strictly controlled like the country’s strategic nuclear arsenal, with Moscow strictly limiting cases of responding to aggressive actions against Russia with
`Exercises using this type of ammunition were last conducted during the Soviet period. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct exercises so that those who use them know how to handle and operate these weapons
The exercises will help the Russian army focus on the task of upgrading its tactical and operational-tactical arsenal, since long-term storage will reduce their technical and tactical characteristics.
Military observers do not expect any of the exercises to involve the direct use of nuclear ammunition, as Russia adheres to its commitment not to engage in nuclear testing of any kind.
`If we are talking about foreign policy, (Kremlin spokesman) Dmitry Peskov said that this is a certain signal for Western countries `engaging in war` in Ukraine, which are planning
In other words, the exercise is conducted to send a message from Russia that Moscow is only willing to accept a `limited` level of aggressive behavior, expert Leonkov emphasized.
Mr. Leonkov believes that the exercises were ordered by President Vladimir Putin in his capacity as supreme commander.
`There was an earlier statement by Mr. Putin (in March) about F-16 aircraft in NATO countries participating in the conflict on Ukrainian territory, and that it does not matter who controls them – Ukrainian pilots or not.
Regarding the announcement by the Ministry of Defense about the planned tactical nuclear missile exercises, Mr. Leonkov warned that the West once again chose to ignore Russia’s warnings on this issue and
The Russian Foreign Ministry describes the upcoming tactical nuclear missile exercises as an attempt by Moscow to `cool down hot heads` in Western countries, as they threaten to deploy forces in Ukraine and carry out military operations.
`The exercise must be seen in the context of recent aggressive statements by Western officials and strong destabilizing actions taken by some NATO countries to pressure Russia with force and
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the exercises will `help (NATO) realize the potentially catastrophic consequences of the strategic risks they create, and prevent them from supporting the Kiev authorities in
On the same day as the announcement of the exercise, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador to Russia Nigel Casey to warn of the impact of British Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s comments during his visit to Kiev on May 2 about allowing
`This is a signal to Western leaders that they (Russia) are very serious,` retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Earl Rasmussen told Sputnik, commenting on a series of statements by the Russian military, Electricity
`If Western leaders escalate this issue further with direct involvement, Russia will directly confront them, they will attack Western forces and potentially defend the will of the state
`I don’t believe Russia wants to do this. I believe they are trying to send a warning signal to Western leaders not to escalate further,` said the former military and international affairs commentator.