Russia’s Ministry of Defence disclosed on Wednesday that the third phase of non-strategic nuclear drills has begun. These exercises are concerned with the readiness of units for employing non-strategic nuclear weapons in combat.
In this regard, it is emphasized that the exercises imply the involvement of the Central and Southern Military Districts and the Aerospace Forces’ troops. Within the framework of this phase, the missile formation personnel of the Central and Southern CSD will develop training and combat assignments.
The receipt of special training munitions for the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile systems, preparation of missile carriers, and disguised movement to the planned topical positional areas for electronic launch.
The ministry also said that the Aerospace Forces’ aviation units involved in the exercise will practice delivering special warheads to the aviation strike assets and getting to the designated patrol zone.
In the first and second stages of the exercise of non-strategic nuclear forces, issues of preparation units of the southern and Leningrad military districts, units of the Aerospace Forces, and the navy for the shooting of non-strategic nuclear weapons were considered.
These exercises were declared at a time when the relations between Russia and the West had been strained due to the crisis in Ukraine. There is the use of tactical nuclear weapons, which has consistently remained a worry, mainly because these are usually comparatively lower yield and are for ground use, as opposed to strategic weapons.
