Russia begins exercises for battlefield nuclear weapons, pointing to Western ‘threats’

Russian troops began practicing major exercises to ensure troops’ readiness for the potential deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield, as Moscow warned against an encroaching threat from Western allies.

The Russian Ministry of Defense published a video Tuesday of troops practicing affixing missiles and warheads onto fighter jets and on the backs of armored trucks equipped with missile-firing systems.

The ministry said in a Telegram post that Russian troops had launched the first stage of “practical testing” of tactical nuclear weapons in the southern military district, which includes Russia’s southwestern regions, including those that border Ukraine.