Russia announced to hold a military exercise that will include the practice of the use of tactical nuclear weapons after provocative threats from Western officials by the Ministry of Defense.
The drills were ordered by President Vladimir Putin and will test the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to conduct combat missions.
It was the first time that Russia has publicly announced exercises involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces continue to conduct exercises regularly.
The Russian announcement appears to be a warning to Ukraine's Western allies about becoming more deeply involved in the more than two-year war.
Some Western partners of Ukraine have already expressed concern about provoking the conflict, as they fear that it could turn into a war between NATO and Russia beyond Ukraine.
Tactical nuclear weapons include aerial bombs, weapons for short-range missiles, and artillery weapons and are intended for use on the battlefield. They are less powerful than huge weapons armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles and are intended to destroy entire cities.
