Russia begins 'third stage' of tactical nuclear arms drills

Russia began the third stage of the drills designed to test its Armed Forces' readiness to launch non-strategic nuclear weaponry, the Russian Defense Ministry said on July 31.

The first stage of exercises began in May as what Russian President Vladimir Putin presented as a response to alleged and unspecified "provocative statements" by the West.

The third phase of the drills involves units of the Central and Southern military districts. The latter district includes forces deployed in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

"As part of this phase of the drills, missile formations' personnel from the Southern and Central military districts will carry out combat training tasks, including acquiring special training ammunition for the Iskander-M tactical missile systems," the Defense Ministry's statement read.

Soldiers taking part in the exercises will practice "equipping launch vehicles and covertly advancing to positions to prepare for electronic launches."

The previous two stages included units of the Southern and Leningrad military districts, Aerospace Forces, and Navy units, the ministry said.

The Kremlin has repeatedly made nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The threats have failed to materialize, and Russia continues to wage its all-out war without its nuclear arsenal.

Russia's ally Belarus took part in the second stage of the drills in June. Minsk does not have its own nuclear weaponry but instead hosts part of Russia's tactical arsenal.

Russian navy starts extensive drills involving majority of its fleet

The Russian navy began scheduled exercises involving a significant portion of its fleet, including 20,000 personnel and 300 ships, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on July 30.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova