The Russian Defence Ministry has reported the start of the first stage of military exercises with the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons carriers.
In accordance with the instruction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Southern Military District under the guidance of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces has launched the first stage of exercises with practical training on the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. This was reported in the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.
“Within the framework of this stage, the personnel of missile formations of the Southern Military District are practising combat training tasks of receiving special munitions for the Iskander operational-tactical missile system, equipping launch vehicles with them and secretly moving to the designated position area in preparation for missile launches,” the statement said.
The exercise also involves crews of aviation units of the Russian Air and Space Forces. The personnel will work out the equipment with special warheads of aviation means of destruction, including aeroballistic hypersonic missiles “Kinzhal”.
The defence ministry specified that these exercises are being held to “maintain the readiness of personnel and military equipment of units for combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons for response and in order to unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state” in response to threats and provocative statements by certain representatives of the Collective West against Russia.
