If Russia actually detonates nuclear weapons during military exercises, then that is a ‘very worrying development’. This is what NATO Assistant Secretary General David van Weel says in the BNR Big Five programme. It has been decades since Russia last conducted nuclear tests.
NATO calls Russian nuclear weapons exercise ‘very worrying development’
3 min 48 sec
Earlier in the day, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that large-scale air force exercises will take place in the south of Russia. These exercises also test combat situations with tactical nuclear weapons. The exercise would be a response to ‘provocations from Western officials’, the ministry said. She was allegedly ordered by President Vladimir Putin. It is not clear whether bombs will actually be detonated. The last Russian nuclear tests were in 1990, during the Soviet Union.
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David Cameron
‘Provocations’ may refer to statements made by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron. He announced before the weekend that Ukraine could use British weapons to attack targets in Russia. The Kremlin immediately reacted angrily and stated that it was a ‘direct escalation’ of the war between Ukraine and Russia. A Kremlin spokesperson also said it could pose a “danger to European security and the entire European security structure.”
According to NATO leader Van Weel, it had been clear for several months that Russia was training nuclear combat situations. But if actual tactical nuclear weapons are also tested, that would be a ‘very worrying development’. He says that NATO hopes that nuclear weapons will not be used during the exercise.
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Nuclear weapons in space
Van Weel also points to the warning from the United States that Russia wants to deploy possible nuclear weapons in space, including against satellites. ‘Not only NATO, not only the military apparatus, but also our society is extremely dependent on what happens in space.’ If Russia can intervene by using nuclear weapons, this will have ‘major consequences for all countries’.
Tags: Russia test tactical nuclear weapons NATO worrying development
