Nuclear drills are to plan for any attack from West, our response will not be limited to Ukraine: Russia

Russia is conducting nuclear exercises to plan a response to any attack on its soil aided by the West, said senior Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev.

The comment from Medvedev comes as Russia is planning to conduct exercises with tactical nuclear weapons amid the ongoing war with Ukraine. In recent months, Russia has scored a string of victories in Ukraine as defenders have found themselves starved of ammunition and low on morale.

In a thinly-veiled threat to the West, Medvedev further said that any Russian response to any such attack will not be just limited to Ukraine.

Medvedev added that the nuclear drills are taking place at a time when the West has allowed Ukraine to carry out attacks inside Russia with Western weapons. For several months, Ukraine has been striking at targets deep inside Russia, particularly at military sites and oil refineries.

Medvedev is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, the apex body on all matters related to security that’s part of the Russian presidential administration. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, is the Chairman in ex-officio capacity. Previously, Medvedev has served as the President (2008-12) and Prime Minister (2012-20) of Russia.

Russian response will not be limited to Ukraine, warns Medvedev

In response to attacks inside Russia purportedly aided by the West, Medvedev has warned that Russian responses will not be restricted to Ukraine.

“Under certain circumstances the response will be delivered not only to Kiev and it won’t contain plain explosives but special ammunition as well. And to drill the response to such attacks is the aim of the planned military exercise. Even the semiliterate Imbeciles of His Royal Majesty should understand that,” said Medvedev in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The “special kind of arms” is an apparent reference to nuclear weapons. Medvedev’s comment appears to be a veiled threat about potential Russian nuclear strikes on Western nations if Russia is attacked from Western weapons.

Medvedev’s expletive-laden post primarily targeted on UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who recently said that it is up to Ukraine to how to use British-supplied weapons. He said that Ukraine may use British-supplied weapons inside Russia as well.

In an apparent response to this remark, Medvedev called Cameron “a usual fishy Briton”. He further said that Cameron was claiming that the British were not afraid of even nuclear conflict.

“Basically, he tells Ukrainians to shoot the British missiles anywhere they wanted. And we – the British – are not afraid of anything, even of a nuclear conflict,” said Medvedev.

Further mocking Cameron, Medvedev said that the Ukrainian attacks were practically being controlled by the country’s European partners.

“A tough guy! You shouldn’t have said it, laddie. Bear in mind that those who handle the Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles are not the halfwits dressed in embroidered shirts, but the British and French,” said Medvedev, referring to French missiles that have been provided to Ukraine.

What we know of Russian nuclear exercises

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week ordered military drills near the border with Ukraine that will involve the simulation of nuclear weapons’ use on the battlefield.

The Russin defence ministry on Monday said Putin had ordered the exercise to “increase the readiness of nonstrategic nuclear forces to carry out combat missions”, according to a statement carried by The Moscow Times.

The announcement was seen as the starkest warning by Russia in more than two years of fighting in Ukraine that it could use nuclear weapons.

The Russian defence ministry did not say when the exercise would take place and just said it would take place in “near future”. It further said that the exercises were in response to “provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation”.

Later on Thursday, Putin provided further details about the exercises and said Belarus, where Russia has deployed nuclear weapons, will also be joining the exercises. He described the drills as a routine affair.

“There is nothing unusual here. This is planned work. It is training,” said Putin, as per state-run TASS news agency.

Putin further said, “We hold them regularly. This time they are held in three stages. At the second stage, Belarusian colleagues will join our joint actions.”