In reaction to statements made by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Russia has issued a warning to the UK and indicated that it is preparing for nuclear war exercises. This is seen as the Kremlin’s retaliation for the Western leaders’ comments regarding troop deployment in Ukraine and the use of British arms against Russia.
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the decision, stating that the southern military district will prepare for the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons as an answer to ‘provocative’ threats from Western authorities toward Russia.
This decision follows Macron’s insinuation that he wouldn’t dismiss the potential of deploying troops to Ukraine and Cameron’s assertion that Ukraine’s use of British weapons, including within Russian borders, is within their discretion.
It transpired that the Kremlin has also requested meetings with both the British ambassador, Nigel Casey, and his French analogue in Moscow. Furthermore, Russia lodged a formal objection to Mr. Casey against Mr. Cameron’s previous comments that Ukraine is justified in using British weaponry within Russian territory.
In response to a Ukrainian attack on Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems situated in Crimea, the Russian foreign ministry announced that if Ukraine used British arms to impinge on Russian soil, any UK military bases and equipment situated in Ukraine and overseas could be targeted.
Mr Casey was cautioned about the disastrous ramifications of these hostile actions from London and urged to refute the aggressive statements from the UK’s foreign office head strongly and unequivocally.
Russia’s southern military district, which borders Ukraine, was the source of the full-scale Ukraine invasion that took place two years ago, claiming tens of thousands of military and civilian lives.
According to the defence ministry, these exercises are designed to unequivocally safeguard Russia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The exercises will also incorporate troops from the Russian Air Force and Navy.
The Russian head of state has recurrently issued stern warnings that Russia stands prepared for a possible nuclear conflict and routinely orchestrates strategic nuclear exercises, often involving transcontinental ballistic missiles. Tactical nuclear drills, however, which encompass lesser yield weaponry designed for battlefield usage, are an infrequent occurrence for Russia.
On Monday, Russia’s foreign division announced plans to create new medium and short-distance missiles, citing the reason as the alleged relocation of similar US missile systems to the European and Asia-Pacific territories.
An official from the Ukrainian government brushed off the Kremlin’s declarations, labelling them as an attempt at “nuclear intimidation”.
The nuclear exercises are set to coincide with an increase in diplomatic strife between Russia and numerous European nations. Following allegations of a 2023 cyber onslaught on Germany’s governing Social Democratic party, Germany withdrew its diplomatic representative from Russia.
Moreover, Russia is pushing an offensive in Ukraine’s east, amassing thousands of soldiers to mount an attack on the strategically significant town of Chasiv Yar within the Donetsk region. On Sunday, it claimed to have seized the border village of Ocheretyne, with further claims on Monday of capturing two additional villages, Kotlyarivka and Soloviove.