Putin Orders Tactical Nuclear Weapons Drills

Alexander Kazakov/Sputnik via ReutersRussian President Vladimir Putin has ordered military drills simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons, his Defense Ministry announced Monday, in an apparent retaliation to comments made by Western leaders about Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.The Defense Ministry statement announcing the exercises said they came “in response to provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation.” The announcement follows a furious reaction from the Kremlin last week to recent remarks from British and French politicians.Although Russia’s strategic nuclear forces routinely conduct exercises, Moscow has not previously publicly announced drills for the use of tactical nukes. Tactical nuclear weapons typically feature less powerful warheads than those arming strategic missiles and are designed for battlefield use rather than the destruction of city-sized targets.Read more at The Daily Beast.