Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to include ‘non-strategic nuclear weapons’ in a new set of military drills – just days after a key ally threatened that Moscow would destroy Downing Street
Russian President Vladimir Putin has started a “process” that could see him use nuclear weapons on his enemies, a Kremlin-linked expert has claimed.
On Monday, it emerged that Putin had instructed defence minister Sergei Shoigu to prepare exercises to “increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfil combat missions”. Russian news outlets later reported that activities practicing the use of nuclear weapons will also feature in the drills – raising concerns abroad of a further escalation in their foreign policy. A defence ministry spokesperson said: “A set of measures will be taken to practice the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.”
Speaking to Kremlin-backed Russian news outlet Moskovskij Komsomolets, an expert has claimed that the hostile rhetoric and nuclear drills show a new “red line” for Putin and his allies, reports the Daily Star. Dmitry Popov said: “A kind word and a gun can achieve much more than just a kind word. Therefore, the Russian Armed Forces have begun preparing for exercises on the use of tactical nuclear weapons. This is already a qualitative change in our policy from words to deeds.
“No matter how many red lines we draw – for the supply of tanks, for the supply of long-range missiles, for aircraft, for the NATO contingent they all intersect or, in the case of personnel of Western armies, intersect before our eyes. Because in the game of escalation we always played number two, and we drew these red lines in the air.”
“I would like to believe that this is not an episode, but a process that has begun.”
It comes after key Putin ally and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned that 10 Downing Street could be destroyed by nuclear missiles if Britain enters the Ukraine war. He had been responding to recent comments by Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who suggested that Ukraine had the right to use British-supplied missiles against Russian territory.
He said: “Sending your troops to the territory of Ukraine will entail the direct entry of their countries into the war, to which we will have to respond. And, alas, not in the territory of Ukraine. In this case, none of them will be able to hide either on Capitol Hill, or in the Elysee Palace, or in 10 Downing Street. A world catastrophe will come.