Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the ‘Tactical Nuclear Weapons’ deployment in Belarus on Saturday. Just four days after the announcement, Russia began extensive nuclear weapons exercises. Russian analysts claim that the information regarding weapons deployment in Belarus and the new nuclear drills were Russia’s message to the West.  

Russia’s Defense Ministry released photographs and videos of the nuclear exercise on Wednesday. The nuclear weapons drills have begun in three regions of Russia’s Siberia. It includes the advanced nuclear weapon ‘RS-24 Yars’. This intercontinental ballistic missile system has a range of nearly 12,000 kilometres and can carry at least four nuclear warheads at a time.  

This nuclear weapon, which can be fired with the help of a silo or mobile launcher, can easily dodge ‘missile defence systems’. The nuclear weapon hits the planned target accurately and penetrates it. It was added to the Russian armed forces a few years ago. Russian President Putin has referred to Yars as an ‘invincible weapon’. The Yars is currently recognized as the main land-launched nuclear weapon in Russia’s ‘nuclear triad’.  

Three thousand soldiers and Russia’s ‘Strategic Missile Forces’ participated in the exercise, which started on Wednesday. It includes the units ‘Novosibirsk Missile Formation’ and ‘Omsk Missile Corps’. The exercise will continue for the next few days, and the Russian Aerospace Forces will also participate, Russia’s Defense Ministry informed.  

After the attack on Ukraine in February last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his nuclear forces to be on alert. After that, Russia’s armed forces reported conducting at least three nuclear exercises last year. At the same time, Russia also conducted tests of the Sarmat hypersonic nuclear weapon. President Putin also openly warned those planning to defeat Russia not to forget that it is a nuclear-armed country.  

Western media and analysts are constantly stating that Russia would launch a nuclear attack given the ‘nuclear forces’ are on the alert and the nuclear weapons tests. However, President Putin rejected the possibility of a nuclear war by stating that Russia would not use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict.  

Meanwhile, Ukraine has launched a major attack on Melitopol, a part of Russian-controlled Ukraine. A Russian official said the city, which is a part of the Zaporizhzhia region, was hit by missile attacks early Wednesday. It was also noted that the power supply in the city was disrupted due to these attacks. As Melitopol is an important centre for the Russian military, an attack on it assumes much significance. 

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