Putin has ordered nuclear drills in response to threats from the West

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, by the order of President Vladimir Putin, has started preparations for military exercises of the Southern Military District and the Missile Formations of the Naval Forces in the near future, reports the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

During the exercises, it is planned, among other things, to develop "issues of the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons". The exercises will be held in response to "provocative statements and threats by Western officials."

"The exercises are aimed at ensuring the readiness of the personnel and equipment of the units for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons in order to respond and unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Russia in response to provocative statements and threats by individual Western officials against the Russian Federation," the Russian Defense Ministry said. in a press release.

At the end of February, French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine, but a few days later he clarified that he still has no intention of doing so. In a recent interview with The Economist, he again said that he does not rule out sending French troops to Ukraine if requested by Kiev.

Today, May 6, the leader of the Democratic minority of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, Hakim Jeffries, announced that intervention in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict may be required, and the sending of American troops to Ukraine is not excluded.