Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered a snap exercise in the use of tactical nuclear weapons in the Southern Military District, which borders Ukraine.
The drill is intended as a warning to the US and its allies not to escalate the Ukraine conflict any further, both the foreign and defense ministries in Moscow emphasized in public statements.
While the West has accused Russia of making nuclear threats on multiple occasions, Moscow’s nuclear doctrine was spelled out in July 2020 and remains unchanged, the Kremlin has repeatedly stated.
Snap exercises
The purpose of the drills is to iron out “the practical aspects of the preparation and deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons,” as well as to strengthen the readiness of both equipment and personnel, “in order to ensure the integrity and sovereignty of Russia,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
The exercises will take place in the Southern Military District, which directly borders Ukraine. Headquartered in Rostov-on-Don, it is the smallest of Russia’s military districts, and includes Crimea, the Caucasus, the regions of Rostov, Volgograd and Krasnodar, as well as the recently admitted Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions.
Russia’s tactical nuclear arsenal
Warheads with yields measured in kilotons of TNT – such as the weapons used by the US against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 – are now considered tactical nuclear weapons. They are intended for use against battlefield targets, whether field formations or hardened combat positions.
Tactical nuclear warheads with yields of 5-50 kilotons can be mounted on 9M723-1 ballistic missiles or the 9M728 cruise missiles, both fired from the Iskander-M complex. Similar warheads can be carried by Kh-47M2 Kinzhal and the Kh-32 cruise missiles that are carried by Russian bombers.
A number of artillery systems can also deliver tactical nuclear warheads in the 2-2.5 kiloton range, installed in 152mm shells and 240mm mortar rounds.
Russia is estimated to have almost 6,000 nuclear warheads of various yields. An unspecified number of tactical nuclear warheads were stationed in Belarus last year, as a response to NATO members delivering depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine.
The US has about 180 tactical nuclear bombs deployed at six bases in Europe – two in Italy, and one each in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Türkiye. The government in Warsaw has expressed a willingness to host the weapons as well, to which Moscow responded that it would consider Poland a priority target.
Message to the West
The tactical nuclear drills are taking place “in the context of recent belligerent statements by Western officials and sharply destabilizing actions taken by a number of NATO countries” in connection with the Ukraine conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
The US-led bloc’s policy of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia is leading it towards “a further escalation of the Ukraine crisis towards an open military clash” between NATO and Moscow, the ministry added.
As examples, the ministry cited Polish statements about the possible stationing of US nuclear weapons in Poland, but also recent French nuclear posturing and remarks by President Emmanuel Macron about the possibility of sending French and other NATO soldiers to Ukraine.
Russia’s nuclear doctrine
According to the decree signed by President Vladimir Putin in July 2020, Moscow’s nuclear arsenal is intended to deter external aggression against Russia.
Putin’s address came after he was officially sworn in for a fifth term as Russian leader. The ceremony took place at the Kremlin Grand Palace and was attended by dozens of dignitaries, including senior officials from parliament and the constitutional court.
Commenting on the future of Russia and its relations with other nations, Putin stressed that “we do not refuse dialogue with Western states. The choice is theirs: do they intend to continue trying to restrain the development of Russia, continue the policy of aggression and relentless pressure that they have pursued for years, or look for a path to cooperation and peace.”This cooperation must include discussions on issues of security and strategic stability, according to the Russian president. However, any talks must be carried out with mutual respect on equal terms, and without “arrogance, conceit, and personal exclusivity,” Putin insisted.
“Together with our partners in Eurasian integration and other sovereign development centers, we will continue to work to form a multipolar world order and an equal and indivisible security system,” Putin said. At the same time, Russia will strive to remain self-sufficient and competitive, he added.
Putin also stressed the importance of remembering “the tragic price of internal turmoil and upheaval.” In order to ensure its unity and independence, Russia’s statehood and socio-political system must be flexible and resistant to any challenges and threats, the president insisted.
The president also said society has changed in recent years, and has begun to value “reliability, mutual responsibility, sincerity, decency, nobility and courage.”
Putin went on to promise to use his powers as head of state to ensure that all Russian citizens who have proven their loyalty and have shown “their best human and professional qualities” are given leading positions in public administration, the economy, and other spheres.
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