NATO to hold nuclear exercise in Italy with 17 allies — Politico Europe

NATO will hold its annual Steadfast Noon nuclear exercise in Italy, involving 17 Alliance allies from October 13 to 23. The drills will take place amid strained relations between NATO and the aggressor state Russia.

Exercise without nuclear weapons

As Politico Europe reports, NATO Director of Nuclear Policy Nassima Barrouz said that such exercises are held annually. According to her, this is meant to demonstrate the predictability of the Alliance's actions and reduce the risk of miscalculation.

Barrouz noted that the purpose of the drills is to train allied forces to maintain readiness, as well as the security and protection of NATO's nuclear capability. NATO's head of nuclear operations, U.S. Colonel David Bull, said the scale of participation would be similar to previous years.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

The program includes a simulated alert and flight exercises, but no nuclear weapons will be used during the exercise. Dual-capable aircraft and ground units will also be involved, practicing aircraft loading, refueling and maintenance.

Correspondence with Moscow

The exercise will take place after an exchange of letters between NATO and Moscow that occurred following allies' August drills near Kaliningrad Oblast. According to the publication, after the previous NATO exercise, the Russian Federation, the aggressor state, sent the Alliance a letter threatening strikes on allied territory and mentioning the use of its nuclear arsenal.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte publicly criticized this move last week. European countries also accuse Russia of sabotage and intensifying so-called hybrid attacks in Europe. The Russian Embassy in Belgium did not provide a prompt comment in response to Politico Europe's request.