Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian Ministry of Defence to carry out exercises on the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons - or tactical nukes - as tensions between Moscow and NATO

explode. Russian media quoted the Ministry as stating: "On instructions from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, in order to increase the

readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to carry out combat missions, the General Staff has begun preparations for holding exercises in the near future with missile formations of the

Southern Military District with the involvement of aviation, as well as naval forces." RIA claimed that the Ministry would "conduct exercises to test the use of non-strategic

move would involve aviation and naval as well as ground forces and was aimed as a response to "provocative statements and threats by individual Western officials" towards Moscow.

Vladimir Putin said earlier this year that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is threatened. The Russian leader has repeatedly talked about his

readiness to use nuclear weapons since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The most recent such threat came in his state-of-the-nation address last month when he

warned the West that deepening its involvement in the fighting in Ukraine would risk a nuclear war. Asked in an interview with Russian state television if he has ever considered using

battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin insisted there has been no need for that. He also noted that he doesn’t think that the world is heading for a nuclear war, describing US

President Joe Biden as a veteran politician who fully understands the possible dangers of escalation.