As if déjà vu. This Tuesday, the Russian army begins three days of nuclear exercises in conjunction with Belarusian forces, as Vladimir Putin heads to China to strengthen strategic cooperation with his neighbor Xi Jinping, a key ally whose exports support the war effort in Ukraine.
Planned since early May, the maneuvers were officially announced this morning by the Russian Ministry of Defense to train Russian armed forces in the potential use of nuclear weapons, including those stationed in Belarus. For three years, Moscow has deployed tactical nuclear weapons stocks in its neighbor – an unprecedented initiative since 1991, allowed by an agreement sealed with Minsk in March 2023.
These new exercises are part of the intimidation strategy employed by Russia since the start of its offensive in February 2022, which has led to the regular specter of nuclear weapons and the suspension, in spring 2023, of its participation in the New Start Treaty regulating the nuclear arsenals of rival Russian and American powers.
According to the Ministry of Defense, more than 65,000 military personnel will be involved in the exercises scheduled until Thursday, involving also 7,800 types of equipment and weapons, including over 200 missile launchers. On Monday, Minsk clarified that this training is not directed against third countries and does not pose a threat to regional security. Three days earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had denounced Russia’s efforts to further involve Belarus in the conflict, stating that Moscow is considering the possibility of operations in the southern or northern region of Belarus, either in Ukraine or against one of the NATO countries.
However, the exercises this week are intended to demonstrate the military’s projection capabilities, rather than initiating an invasion operation. “There is nothing new under the sun,” notes a defense specialist. “Russia seeks to remind its neighbors that it is a nuclear power, as the United States and even France regularly do. These exercises are regular and transparent,” continues the same source. In October 2025, Vladimir Putin supervised nuclear forces exercises, including a test launch of the ICBM.
The planned missile launches this week have been postponed several times, explains researcher Etienne Marcuz in a post published on X. This expert suggests that this exercise aims to reaffirm Russia’s military power after the cancellation of most of the Victory Day parade on May 9, due to Ukrainian strike fears. Submarine exercises involving the Northern and Pacific fleets, as well as ballistic and cruise missile launches, are on the Kremlin’s agenda.
These three days of nuclear exercises come as Russia suffered one of the largest drone attacks by Ukraine on Sunday, May 17, resulting in four deaths. The same week, Russian bombings killed 24 people in Kiev, prolonging the entrenchment of a conflict that no power seems able to end.
