Video Shows Russia Beginning Nuclear Weapons Drills

Russia said on Tuesday that it has begun the first stage of testing tactical nuclear weapons with a video announcement that showed military personnel loading missiles onto equipment.

The announcement came from the Russian Defense Ministry, which indicated the drills included Kinzhal hypersonic missiles equipped with "special warheads."

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered tactical nuclear weapons drills in response to comments from the West.

The defense ministry said in a May 6 statement that the drills would increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to perform combat missions and ensure Russia's territorial integrity and sovereignty "in response to provocative statements and threats by individual Western officials against the Russian Federation."

On Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) said in a message posted on Russian social media platform VKontakte (VK) that personnel of the Southern Military District had started training and completing combat tasks with "special ammunition" for Iskander missile systems. This included equipping launchers and "covertly moving them to the designated positional area to prepare for missile launches."

"The personnel of the aviation units of the Russian Aerospace Forces involved in the exercise practice are equipping aviation weapons with special warheads, including the Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and flying into designated patrol areas," the statement said.

The video attached to the MOD's statement has since been shared by multiple users of X, formerly Twitter, including entrepreneur Mario Nawful.

The video shows military carrier vehicles driving to a location where missiles are then put into what appears to be launch positions. The clip ends with a pilot climbing into the cockpit of a fighter jet.

The MOD's message ended by reiterating that the drills were being conducted both to ensure "the readiness of the personnel and equipment of units" as well as to respond to threats from "certain Western officials to the Russian Federation."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense via email on Tuesday for further comment.

Putin stated in September 2022 that Russia would turn to nuclear weapons to defend its "territorial integrity," adding that "this is not a bluff." During his annual state-of-the-nation address in Moscow on February 29, the Russian leader emphasized that his "strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness."

Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Tuesday.

When asked by the press in May about Russia's planned nuclear drills, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby called Putin "reckless and irresponsible" for "'saber rattling the way that he is with respect to potential use of nuclear weapons."

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