President Vladimir Putin of Russia has announced a planned exercise involving the tactical nuclear weapons deployment in southern Russia, responding to perceived threats from France, Britain, and the U.S. The Russian defense ministry stated that the nuclear exercise was linked to “provocative” statements made by Western officials. President Putin emphasized that there was nothing unusual in the planned exercise, describing it as part of regular training. This move comes after Russia transferred some tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, marking the first time such warheads had been moved outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The nuclear exercise in Russia was announced in response to what Moscow deemed as threats from certain Western officials against the Russian Federation. Russian President Putin revealed that Belarus would participate in one of the stages of the training exercise, emphasizing the regular nature of such drills. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko noted that this was the third training exercise involving the synchronized efforts of both countries’ general staffs. However, there is uncertainty regarding the nature and exact figures of non-strategic nuclear weapons under Russia’s control, including any that may have been supplied to Belarus. The storage, security, and barracks required for such deployments typically take time to create.
Russia and the United States possess the largest nuclear arsenals globally, holding the majority of the world’s nuclear warheads. China follows as the third-largest nuclear power, with France and Britain trailing behind. Russia has approximately 1,558 non-strategic nuclear warheads, though exact figures remain uncertain due to the lack of transparency. The control of Russian nuclear weapons falls under the jurisdiction of the Russian defense ministry’s 12th Main Directorate, which oversees their storage and security. There is uncertainty about whether the 12th Main Directorate is present in Belarus, raising questions regarding the oversight of any nuclear weapons deployed in the country.
Despite the escalating tensions surrounding the nuclear exercises in Russia, no power has utilized nuclear weapons in warfare since the U.S. bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The Pentagon stated that it had not observed any changes in Russia’s strategic nuclear forces disposition, despite what it described as “irresponsible rhetoric” from Moscow regarding plans for exercises involving the deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons. The lack of transparency surrounding the exact figures and storage of Russia’s nuclear weapons poses challenges for arms control experts in assessing the implications and potential risks of such deployments. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely as Russia conducts its planned military exercises.
