Military exercises for practicing the use of tactical (or non-strategic) nuclear weapons will be conducted at the appropriate time; the exact dates should be clarified with the Russian Ministry of Defense, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"This is a question for the military department ... It will be executed within the appropriate time frame,” Peskov told reporters when asked about the dates of the exercises to test the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that, at the president's order, the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces had begun preparations for upcoming exercises involving missile units from the Southern Military District, along with the participation of aviation and the Navy.

These drills will focus on the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, aimed at ensuring Russia's territorial integrity and sovereignty in response to provocative statements and threats from certain Western officials.

President Vladimir Putin referred to the exercises involving the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons as routine work, with nothing unusual. He also mentioned that the drills would be conducted in three stages, with Belarus joining Russia in the second stage, as Belarus hosts non-strategic nuclear weapons.