After tensions with Russia erupted over President Vladimir Putin’s warnings to take whatever means necessary to protect Russian territory in the event of defeat in Ukraine, NATO today started military maneuvers simulating the use of Europe’s nuclear weapons.
As part of NATO’s annual nuclear exercise, “Steadfast Noon,” up to 60 aircraft, including US B-52 long-range bombers, will fly training sorties over Belgium, the UK, and the North Sea today.
Following a statement by Vladimir Putin that a direct confrontation between NATO and Russian forces would result in “world disaster,” nuclear drills—which do not use real bombs—have been conducted.
At least 625 miles from Russia’s borders will be where the majority of the war simulations are being staged.
Around 60 aircraft, including fighter jets equipped with nuclear weapons and surveillance and refueling planes, will perform training flights during the drills, which will include 14 of NATO’s 30 members.
American long-range B-52 bombers will also participate in the maneuvers after arriving from the North Dakotan air base at Minot.
Before Putin gave the order to send Russian soldiers into Ukraine in February, the drills, which would go through October 30, were planned. NATO anticipates that Russia will conduct a nuclear force exercise this month, as it does every year around the same time.
In response to requests to cancel the exercise after Putin escalated his nuclear rhetoric as his soldiers lost ground in Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg rejected all such suggestions.
According to Stoltenberg last week, “it would send a very incorrect signal if we suddenly cancelled a normal, long-planned exercise because of the situation in Ukraine.”
We must comprehend that the greatest approach to avert an escalation is via NATO’s tough, predictable behavior and our military might.
Despite the Kremlin’s stronger rhetoric, NATO claims it has not seen a change in Russia’s nuclear posture.
But we continue to be on guard,’ Stoltenberg added.
NATO’s nuclear war drills came after Russia blasted other cities around the nation on Monday and launched a kamikaze drone strike on Kyiv’s city center during morning rush hour.
Five explosions were recorded in the city beginning at 6.30 a.m. local time, according to the BBC, as police used rifles to attempt to fire down the drones after they managed to evade air defense systems.
Russia has launched attacks throughout Ukraine twice in the last week despite suffering defeats on the battlefield.
Three persons were murdered in an assault on a residential building in Kyiv, according to a representative of Ukraine’s presidential administration. A burned-out structure had windows that were spewing black smoke, and firefighters were working hard to put out the fires.
Ukraine said that the assaults were carried out by “suicide drones” produced in Iran, which fly to their intended target before exploding.
The drone attacks, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, are intended to “terrify the civilian population,” but he pledged that “the adversary may hit our cities, but it won’t be able to break us.”
According to the Russian defense ministry, high-precision weapons were used in a “massive” strike on military installations and energy infrastructure across Ukraine.
It occurs a week after a bombing on the Crimean Bridge caused a massive barrage of Russian missiles and kamikaze drones produced in Iran to hit almost every major Ukrainian city, damaging infrastructure and murdering people.
Since then, Russia has continued to attack cities and infrastructure—albeit with less vigor—apparently changing its strategy in the conflict as a result of a humiliating string of setbacks on the battlefield.