The US are providing Kyiv with training and equipment to respond to any possible nuclear emergency or even an attack by Russia.
National Nuclear Security Administration Jill Hruby told the US Senate Committee on Armed Services, that Washington is “working to reduce nuclear risks in Ukraine.”
Hruby said that the US are providing Ukraine with the “situational awareness of any nuclear emergency” that occurs.
She said in a statement, “This includes providing equipment, training, and technical guidance to enable the safe and secure operation of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants remaining under its control, protect its critical infrastructure, particularly the electric grid, provide situational awareness of any nuclear emergency that occurs in the country, and enhance the emergency preparedness and response capacity of our Ukrainian partners to respond to a nuclear event.”
Ukraine are urgently building nuclear and anti-radiation bunkers over fears that Vladimir Putin could launch a small yield tactical nuclear weapon to win the war.
Russia has started tactical nuclear drills close to the Ukrainian border which is in response to “threats” made from the West.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that the tactical nuclear exercises are taking place in the Southern Military District on the borders of occupied Ukraine.
The Defence Ministry said in a statement the exercises are to test “the readiness of personnel and equipment of non-strategic nuclear weapons combat units to respond and to unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state.”
The statement added this is in “response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials.”
The Russian Ministry of Defence wrote on Telegram, “In accordance with the instructions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the first stage of the exercise with practical testing of the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons began in the Southern Military District under the leadership of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
Officials said, “the personnel of the missile formations of the Southern Military District are practising combat training tasks of obtaining special ammunition for the Iskander operational-tactical missile system, equipping launch vehicles with them and covertly advancing to the designated position area in preparation for missile launches.
They added, “The personnel of the aviation units of the Russian Aerospace Forces involved in the exercise practice equipping aviation weapons with special warheads, including the Kinzhal aeroballistic hypersonic missiles, and flying into designated patrol areas.”
Russian MP Lt-Gen Andrey Gurulev warned, “If the [West] are underestimating [Russian resolve], then there will probably come a moment….when this nuclear strike will smash someone over the head quite seriously….
We are talking about….the integrity and independence of the state.
“The Nazism that has developed in Ukraine with the help of the West is a threat to us.
“If the West is going to develop this Nazism further by helping Ukraine, then I think it is a direct threat to our independence and integrity on our side.”
