Russia starts third stage of tactical nuclear drills

31/7/2024 17:44

        Russia has begun the third stage of drills to practise the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.
        
        "In accordance with the decision of the president of the Russian Federation, the third stage of the exercise of non-strategic nuclear forces has begun," the defence ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
        
        Soldiers from the Southern and Central military districts will train how to deploy dummy warheads for Iskander-M operational and tactical missile systems and covertly moving them to launch sites, the defence ministry said. "The current stage of the exercise is aimed at maintaining the readiness of personnel and equipment of units of combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons of Russia to perform combat missions," the ministry said.
        
        Russia held the first stage of the drills in May and ally Belarus joined the second stage in June.