Russia will hold tactical nuclear weapons drills amid fresh tensions with the West
Russia said on Monday it will hold military exercises with troops based near Ukraine to practice the possible use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield, raising tensions with the West after two European leaders raised the prospect of more Western intervention headed into the war.Such weapons, often called “tactical,” are designed for battlefield use and have smaller warheads than “strategic” nuclear weapons intended to strike cities. The Russian Defense Ministry said President Vladimir V. Putin had ordered a drill for missile, aviation and naval personnel to “increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to carry out combat missions.”Russian officials said the order was in response to Western comments about the possibility of more direct Western involvement in the war in Ukraine....