Russia announces nuclear maneuvers after tense exchange of statements with the West

Russia threatened on Monday to attack British military facilities and announced exercises simulating the use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield, amid rising tensions in the wake of comments by Western officials about possible deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine .

After summoning the British ambassador to the Foreign Office, Moscow warned that Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with weapons supplied by the United Kingdom could lead to retaliatory attacks on British military installations and equipment on Ukrainian soil or elsewhere.

The statements came on the eve of the inauguration of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a fifth term and in the week in which Moscow will celebrate – on Thursday – the Victory Dayits most important secular holiday, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

The exercises are a response to “provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation“, detailed the Ministry of Defense in a statement.

It’s the first time that Russia publicly announces tactical nuclear weapons drills, although its strategic nuclear forces conduct regular drills. Tactical atomic weapons include aerial bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are intended for use on the battlefield. They are less powerful than strategic weapons: Massive warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles and are intended to destroy entire cities.

The announcement appeared to be a warning to Ukraine’s Western allies not to become more involved in the war that began more than two years ago, where Kremlin forces have the advantage due to Ukraine’s shortage of weapons and personnel. Some of Ukraine’s Western allies have expressed qualms about fueling the war, amid concerns that the violence could spread beyond Ukraine and become among the NATO and Russia.

The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, reiterated last week that it has not ruled out sending troops to Ukraine, and UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Kiev forces will be able to use long-range British weapons to hit targets inside Russia. Other NATO countries that provide weapons to kyiv have objected.

The Kremlin called those statements dangerous and said they increased tensions between Russia and NATO. The war has already put considerable strain on ties between Moscow and the West.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskovsaid on Monday that recent comments by Macron and other statements by British and American officials had led to the military exercises.

“It’s a new round of escalation“, said Peskov in reference to what the Kremlin considered provocative statements. “It is unprecedented and requires special attention and measures“he told reporters.

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the French and British ambassadors. He urged the British ambassador to ““Think about the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile measures on the part of London.”

The chancellor of Sweden, Tobias Billstromsaid that the nuclear exercises “contribute to increasing instability”.

“In the current security situation, Russia’s actions can be considered particularly irresponsible and reckless.”Billström told the Swedish news agency TT.

Dmitry Medvedevnumber two on the Russian Security Council chaired by Putin, said in his usual warmongering tone that Macron and Cameron’s comments posed a risk of pushing a nuclear-armed world toward a “global catastrophe”.

It is not the first time that European military support for Ukraine has angered Russian authorities and provoked mention of nuclear weapons. In March last year, following the UK government’s decision to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing projectiles containing depleted uranium, Putin announced his plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.

The Ministry noted that the exercise was intended to “increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to execute combat tasks”, and will be held by order of Putin. Missile units of the Southern Military District will participate in the maneuvers along with the air force and the navy, he added.

The Russian announcement provoked little reaction in Ukraine, where Military Intelligence agency spokesman Andrii Yusovsaid on national television: “Nuclear blackmail is a common practice of the Putin regime; “It’s not big news.”

Western officials have rebuked Russia for its threats of a broader war in the form of provocative actions. NATO countries said last week that they were very concerned about a campaign of hybrid activities on alliance territory, which they attributed to Russia and described as a threat to their security.

Peskov rejected those claims as “new unfounded accusations directed against our country”.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones struck two vehicles in Russia’s Belgorod region on Monday, killing six people and wounding 35, including two children, according to local authorities, in an area that has been a regular target of kyiv’s forces in the last months.

One of the vehicles was a minibus carrying agricultural workers, the Belgorod governor said. Vyacheslav Gladkov.

No other details were initially available and it was not possible to independently confirm the report from the border region.

Although the Ukrainian military is largely paralyzed along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front due to a lack of troops and ammunition after more than two years of fighting, it has drawn on its long-range firepower to attack targets inside Russia.

In what has largely become a war of attrition, Russia has also relied heavily on long-range missiles, artillery and drones to inflict damage on Ukraine.

Kremlin forces maintained their bombardment of the Ukrainian power grid with an overnight drone attack on energy infrastructure in the northern Ukrainian region of Sumy. Several cities and towns in the area, including Sumy, were left without electricity, according to regional authorities.

Russia attacked Ukrainian targets with 13 Shahed drones overnight, of which 12 were intercepted in the Sumy region, according to the Ukrainian air force.