Russia announced on Tuesday that it had launched joint nuclear drills with ally Belarus, kicking off the second phase of exercises aimed at preparing its military for tactical nuclear weapons.
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khlenin said the drills were a response to “failed attempts to thwart Russian aggression.” [Belarus] “They will create an epidemic of color revolutions and crush us with economic sanctions.” telegram.
The development comes shortly after the Russian Defense Ministry said last month that its military had begun training to prepare for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, warning of a Western “threat”.
The first phase of “field tests” began in the Southern Military District, where troops were trained to mount Iskander ballistic missiles on vehicles. The same missile system was used on Tuesday, according to video footage released by the Defense Ministry. Additionally, training was also conducted with Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers and MiG-31s equipped with Kinzhal missiles, Reuters reported.
“The situation on the European continent is extremely tense and is being stirred up daily by new decisions and actions in European capitals hostile to Russia, and in particular from Washington,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. Reuters.
“So, of course, this kind of training and maintaining combat readiness is very important to us,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned that the Kremlin could use nuclear weapons in self-defense, and recently threatened to send them to Western adversaries, without specifying which countries.
Last October, Putin said Russia had tested the Burevestnik nuclear-propelled missile with a range of 14,000 miles. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last June that his country had received nuclear weapons from Russia and would not hesitate to use them if threatened.
