The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced the first stage of exercises with practical training in the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.
Russian military personnel will practice training and combat tasks of receiving ammunition for the Iskander operational-tactical missile system, equipping missile carriers, and moving to a positional area to prepare for launches.
The personnel of aviation units of the Russian Aerospace Forces involved in the exercises will practice equipping aviation weapons with Kinzhal aeroballistic hypersonic missiles and flying to designated patrol areas.
The Ministry of Defense emphasized that the exercises are aimed at maintaining the readiness of equipment and personnel of combat units using non-strategic nuclear weapons to ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state in response to provocative statements by certain officials in the West against the country.
In early May, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the Ministry of Defense to prepare the personnel of the Armed Forces for exercises on the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. The defense ministry noted that the exercises would involve forces from the Navy, aviation, and missile units of the Southern Military District.
Earlier, www1.ru reported that exercises involving a mobile Yars ground-based missile system (a nuclear deterrent missile) were held in the Irkutsk region in April.
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