Russia conducts nuclear drills, Putin says use of nukes will be ‘extremely exceptional’

Russia on Tuesday said that its military conducted new nuclear drills under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin, who recently advocated for changes to the rules governing Moscow’s nuclear deterrent.

As reported by AFP, Putin has frequently hinted at the possibility of using nuclear weapons amid Russia’s offensive in Ukraine and suggested last month that the country should expand its criteria for deploying such weaponry.

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Russia’s defence ministry said a “training exercise was conducted with the forces and means of the land, maritime and aviation components of the strategic deterrent force” and that an “intercontinental ballistic missile was launched.”

The ministry said the missile was launched at a test site in the far-eastern Kamchatka peninsula.

Other missiles were launched from a submarine in the Barents Sea in the Arctic and from the Sea of Okhotsk in the Russian Far East. The ministry said the drills were conducted successful and that the missiles had “reached their targets.”

The TASS news industry published footage of a missile being launched at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Russian Far North.

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In September, Putin proposed altering Moscow’s nuclear doctrine to permit a nuclear response to a “massive” air attack. Under the suggested rules, Russia would view any attack from a non-nuclear country that receives support from a nuclear power as a joint assault, seemingly aimed at Ukraine. These developments occur as Ukraine seeks approval to use long-range missiles against Russia, a request that has faced reluctance from the U.S. thus far.

As the two-and-a-half-year conflict enters what Russian officials describe as its most perilous phase, the West is evaluating how to bolster Ukraine while Russian forces make advances in the eastern region of the country. Putin stated that the use of nuclear weapons would be an “extremely exceptional measure.”

He emphasised, “We are not going to get involved in a new arms race, but we will maintain our nuclear forces at a level of necessary sufficiency.” He also noted that Russia is transitioning to new “stationary and mobile-based missile systems” designed for quicker launch preparation and capable of evading missile defence systems.

Putin, who has frequently invoked the threat of nuclear weapons to deter increased Western support for Ukraine, emphasized on Tuesday that Russia’s nuclear arsenal is a “reliable guarantor of the country’s sovereignty and security.”

Earlier, Putin noted that Moscow would continue to modernize its nuclear forces, deploying new missiles that have higher precision, quicker launch times and increased capabilities to overcome missile defences, AP reported.

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Last month, the Russian leader cautioned the US and NATO allies that permitting Ukraine to utilize Western-supplied long-range weapons for strikes deep within Russia would essentially put NATO at war with his country. He reinforced this message by unveiling a new version of the nuclear doctrine, which categorizes a conventional attack on Russia by a non-nuclear nation, supported by nuclear power, as a joint assault on Russia—a clear warning to the US and other allies of Ukraine.

Putin also stated that the revised doctrine allows for the potential use of nuclear weapons in response to a massive air attack, keeping the option of a nuclear response open and creating ambiguity intended to deter the West.

Tuesday’s manoeuvres follow a series of other drills of Russia’s nuclear forces.

Putin has asserted that Russia does not need to resort to nuclear weapons to secure victory in Ukraine.

Earlier this year, the Russian military held a joint nuclear exercise with Moscow’s ally Belarus, which has hosted some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons.

As the world’s largest nuclear power, Russia, alongside the US, controls 88% of the globe’s nuclear warheads. U.S. officials have indicated that there has been no change in Russia’s nuclear deployment posture during the conflict. However, in 2022, the United States expressed significant concern over the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia, with CIA Director Bill Burns noting that the U.S. warned Putin about the consequences of such actions.