Russian military begins 3rd round of drills to train troops in tactical nuclear weapons

MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian military has begun a third round of drills with tactical nuclear weapons, part of the Kremlin’s messaging intended to force the West to limit its support for Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said the drills that started Wednesday will feature units of the central and southern military districts armed with Iskander short-range missiles. They will practice receiving nuclear weapons from storage and deploying them to designated launch areas. The maneuvers will also include warplanes that will practice flights with nuclear-capable weapons. The previous two rounds of the drills were held in May and June. The maneuvers in June were conducted jointly with the armed forces of Russia’s ally Belarus.