NATO Launches Major Nuclear Deterrence Exercise

To conduct nuclear deterrence operations, the annual exercises of the North Atlantic Alliance will begin on Monday, October 13, in the Netherlands, but without the use of real weapons. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced this on his social media page. The exercise, involving 71 fighter jets from 14 NATO countries, will last for 2 weeks. Rutte emphasized the importance of the exercises, noting that they "will help ensure that the alliance's nuclear deterrent forces remain as reliable, safe, secure, and effective as possible."

It should be noted that the North Atlantic Alliance conducts such exercises every year, involving the fighter aviation of both nuclear and non-nuclear NATO member countries. James Stokes, head of NATO's nuclear policy department, told reporters that despite the sharp rhetoric from the Kremlin, the allies "have not recently noticed any change in Russia's nuclear posture." He stressed that Russia is not the main target of the exercises, but NATO continues to monitor Moscow's military activities, including the dual-use missiles used in Ukraine, which can be equipped with nuclear warheads.