Russia to hold tactical nuclear weapons drills, Kremlin says

The Russian Defense Ministry plans to soon test its ability to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in response to Western countries’ rhetoric about assisting Ukraine, Russian state-controlled media reported Monday. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the drills to take place in the near future, according to the report.

What sort of Western rhetoric provoked this? French President Emmanuel Macron had suggested the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine. Macron’s suggestion, and the rhetoric of other British and U.S. officials demanded a strong response, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a separate state-media report Monday.

What would be involved in such a test? The Kremlin said its drills would iron out the practical aspects of deploying a nuclear weapon, according to state media. Operators can test every aspect of deploying a nuclear weapon without causing a nuclear explosion, according to the Arms Control Association, a Washington-based nonprofit public education group.

Are nuclear-related drills common for Russia? The Biden administration’s 2022 Nuclear Posture Review said that over the past decade, Russia has worked to both develop its nuclear capabilities and increase its nuclear defense systems. The United States plans not to detonate nuclear weapons as part of any test while seeking to maintain its military advantage against its adversaries, according to the document.

Dig deeper: Read Daniel R. Suhr’s column in WORLD Opinions about how U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was asleep at the nuclear switch.