Russia has wrapped up large-scale nuclear forces exercises involving land, sea and air components, conducted in coordination with its ally Belarus, as both countries signal resolve in the face of ongoing conflict with Ukraine and Western support for Kyiv.
The three-day drills, which began on Tuesday, featured trucks transporting intercontinental ballistic missiles through forested terrain, nuclear-powered submarines deploying from Arctic and Pacific bases, and air crews scrambling into strategic bombers.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko personally inspected Russian short-range Iskander ballistic missile systems at a participating unit, remarking that he had “dreamed about this machine for a long time.”
Russian Defence Ministry officials described the exercises as involving some 64,000 troops, more than 200 missile launchers, over 140 aircraft, 73 surface warships and 13 submarines — including several equipped with nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The drills focused on “the preparation and use of nuclear forces under the threat of aggression,” with particular emphasis on joint operations with Belarusian units hosting Russian nuclear assets.
Tactical Untegration and New Systems
Belarusian forces practised the delivery and preparation of nuclear munitions in coordination with Russian counterparts, including operations from unprepared or mobile sites for concealment and rapid deployment.
Russian nuclear munitions were delivered to field storage facilities of a Belarusian missile brigade during the exercises, with troops training on loading Iskander-M systems.
Moscow has stationed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus since 2023, and last year deployed its advanced intermediate-range Oreshnik hypersonic missile system — nuclear-capable and designed to evade many modern defences — to Belarusian territory.
The drills included rehearsal of procedures for these assets, with Russia retaining formal control while allowing Belarusian input on targeting in potential conflict scenarios.
Context of Ukrainian Strikes
The exercises follow a major wave of Ukrainian drone attacks, including one of the largest on Moscow and its suburbs in over a year. Strikes damaged residential buildings, industrial facilities and infrastructure, killing at least three people in the Moscow region and bringing the realities of the war closer to Russian civilians.
Ukrainian officials described the operations as justified retaliation for Russian aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities.
Russian authorities have portrayed the drills as routine readiness measures rather than a direct response to any specific incident.
Belarusian officials similarly characterised the joint training as a scheduled exercise, not targeted at any third party.
Geopolitical Backdrop and Nuclear Signalling
The manoeuvres underscore the deepening military integration between Moscow and Minsk, with Belarus serving as a key forward base.
President Vladimir Putin has frequently highlighted Russia’s nuclear capabilities since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, aiming to deter deeper Western involvement.
In late 2024, Russia updated its nuclear doctrine, broadening scenarios for potential use. It now considers conventional aggression against Russia or Belarus — particularly when backed by a nuclear power — as potentially constituting a joint attack warranting a nuclear response.
This adjustment appears intended to raise the perceived costs for Western nations considering greater long-range weapons support for Ukraine, effectively lowering the threshold for nuclear consideration in certain contingencies, according to analysts.
The revised policy explicitly extends Russia’s nuclear umbrella to Belarus. While Moscow maintains custody of the weapons, the arrangement marks a significant evolution in the bilateral alliance.Western officials and NATO members have expressed concern over the drills and the forward deployment of Russian nuclear systems, viewing them as escalatory rhetoric amid the grinding conflict now entering its fifth year.
Ukraine has condemned the exercises as nuclear blackmail and an unprecedented challenge to global security, calling for stronger international measures. dw.comRussia, for its part, frames its nuclear posture as purely deterrent, necessitated by what it describes as existential threats from NATO expansion and military aid to Kyiv.
No actual nuclear weapons were used in the drills, which involved training munitions and simulated procedures, according to available reports.
Broader implications
These exercises occur against a complex backdrop of stalled nuclear arms control talks with the United States and persistent battlefield dynamics in Ukraine. They serve both practical military training purposes and a signalling function: reminding adversaries of Russia’s strategic arsenal — the world’s largest — and its willingness to integrate allies into its nuclear planning.
Observers note that while such drills are not new, their frequency and visibility have increased since 2022. The involvement of Belarus adds a layer of regional tension, given its border with both Ukraine and NATO members including Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
As the war continues with no immediate resolution in sight, the nuclear dimension remains a critical factor shaping calculations in Moscow, Kyiv and Western capitals. Both sides continue to calibrate their actions to avoid crossing perceived red lines while intensifying conventional operations.
