Russia Does Not Conduct Exercises Like NATO's, Says Zakharova

Russia does not conduct exercises similar to NATO's "Unstable Noon" because all of Russia's nuclear weapons are deployed within the national territory, while non-strategic weapons are kept in centralized storage facilities. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

"We do not conduct such exercises; all Russian nuclear weapons are located on national territory, and non-strategic nuclear weapons are kept exclusively in a non-deployed state in centralized warehouses. As for the preparedness of Russian forces and strategic deterrence, these are carried out regularly and are of a planned nature," Zakharova said during a press briefing on Thursday in response to a question about the start of NATO's Steadfast Noon nuclear exercises.

She emphasized that Moscow, regardless of whether NATO's exercises are linked by their organizers to current events, continues to view them as a destabilizing factor, related to the very essence of NATO’s practice of so-called "joint nuclear missions." Zakharova noted that Russia consistently points out that the involvement of non-nuclear NATO countries' aviation and military personnel in the development of skills for using US nuclear weapons stationed in Europe contradicts the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and poses risks to security.