The move comes after an acrimonious exchange with senior Western officials, labelled by Moscow as ‘provocative threats’.
Moscow plans to hold a military exercise simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced, just days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine.
The drills are in response to “provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement Monday.
The exercise is intended to “increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfil combat tasks” and will be held on President Vladimir Putin’s orders, according to the statement. The manoeuvres plan to involve missile units of the Southern Military District along with Russia’s air force and navy.
The people in charge of these drills are the same folks who told putin that Ukraine would fall in three days. They used the money meant for the military to feather their own nests.
None of them will risk their dachas and harems to start WW3.
I hope you’re right. I grew up learning about the Cold War. Didn’t think I’d have to experience it, but these fuckers refuse to leave power unless they die, and even then the survivors just Weekend at Bernie’s the corpse like Feinstein.
This is nothing like the Cold War.
Back in the 1950s they were doing Atom Bomb tests within sight of Las Vegas. Seeing the explosions was a tourist draw.
Aww, the chihuahua thinks it’s a pit bull.
Seems Putin is the only one promoting the idea of nuclear war lately, and he knows what will happen if he starts it.
It’s the only card he’s still holding that means anything to the western nations he’s in a proxy war with.
Nobody wants a nuclear war, which is why he’s betting on western nations erring on the side of caution when he does shit like this.
Watch these drunks set off a nuke through incompetence.
Vlad took a swig of his “Coffee” at his station. His commander had said something about “make sure you use the drill launch codes during the test”
Vlad pondered the sticky note that had been on his work station since he got there. 2 lines of numbers written haphazardly on aging yellow paper loomed before him. Was it the top one that was real, or the bottom. Surely the drill code would be used more and should be on top. But the real code is more important, so it should be on top.
His radio chirped, and the angry voice of his commander squealed out. It was time.
He took a coin from his pocket and flipped it, tails, bottom code it is. He entered the numbers and hit the worn red button on his console.
As he heard the rumble of rocket engines from deep in the bunker, he knew his luck was as rotten as ever. He swigged his coffee one last time.
In fairness, there really was a Russian officer who had to decide whether to launch nukes during the Cuban missile crisis. Except he was told that WW3 had actually started.
He still refused to launch, probably saving humanity in the process.
How’s that sweet Kremlin money for you?
Can’t believe this shit-hole country was an actual threat ever.
Putin, your wasteland of a country is an barren as your brainpan. The horde of knuckledraggers your spurr on from the sidelines doesn’t even like you. You are a joke.
They’re a threat because they’ve always been both bellicose and nuclear armed. It’s infuriating. Between warmongering and nuclear or horribly unstable and nuclear, I’m not sure if I’d rather have Russia or Pakistan.
Can’t believe this shit-hole country was an actual threat ever.
We have representatives of the US political party leading for President right now echoing Kremlin propaganda on the floor of Congress and their candidate is cheered on and welcomed for saying he’ll be a dictator who will undermine Western diplomatic relationships opposing Russia and would even encourage Putin to invade those countries, all while state level party representatives are literally saying that ‘democracy’ is a bad word that they oppose.
How the fuck is Russia not an “actual threat?”
There’s more to modern warfare than nukes, missiles, and tanks. And by the end of November Putin stands a very good chance of having won the kind of megalomaniacal victory that Stalin or Hitler couldn’t have possibly dreamed of.
I’m hearing a strange rattle coming out of your scabbard, Vlad.
I’ll just leave this here.
Unfortunately, imo this does sound as the start a new serious escalation. I could be wrong, but they really don’t like the continued support Ukraine is getting and want to stop that. Especially extra aid and maybe in this new phase , support coming from influx of extra military from abroad. Also, according to internal rumors in Russia, their war economy is slowly killing their home economy. Lots of domestic business are closing shop, and many people have been working in warfactories. Also when planes, trains and other stuff massively starts falling apart, something which already has been happening, they won’t be able to maintain the supply lines. So probably very soon (summer) we’ll see a very heavy offensive from 2 or 3 sides, and they really don’t want extra trouble, as apperantly this wars costs are trememdous in their scale. The longer it takes, the lower the win chances for Ruzz will become, though I wonder atm, if anyone in the top even knows what their actual plans could be. I surely don’t hope something like " If we can’t have it, nobody will" , like Stalin did, and they’ll turn the place into a wasteland.
Fyi via ap ap link “It was the first time that Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, though its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises. Tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are meant for use on a battlefield. They are less powerful than the massive warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles and are intended to obliterate entire cities.”
Predictions did say year 3 was the most difficult one. Support on Ukraine’s side waning against Russia’s economy crumbling. The one coming into year 4 surviving the attrition the best wins the war.
Threatening use of nukes is a decent scare tactic to make the western bloc hesitant to get more involved. Actually doing it would virtually guarantee the hammer was dropped on them.
You know what happened last time Putin rattled the sabers and held an “army drill” right next to the Ukrainian border?
Putin is crazy enough to try something stupid.
