NATO starts annual nuclear drills amid heightened tensions with Moscow

NATO began its annual nuclear exercise, Steadfast Noon, on Oct. 13 to strengthen the alliance's nuclear deterrence readiness, with the Netherlands serving as the primary host country.

The alliance said that the "routine" drills are "not linked to any current world events" and are designed to "maintain readiness and ensure transparency" regarding NATO's nuclear posture.

The exercises are taking place amid mounting tensions between NATO and Moscow as Russian aircraft and drones have repeatedly intruded into allied airspace, prompting calls for shooting them down.

Roughly 70 aircraft from 14 allied nations and 2,000 personnel will participate in the exercise, with Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands serving as the primary base.

The warplanes involved will include Dutch F-35 fighter jets, as well as allied surveillance, air-to-air refueling, and command‑and‑control aircraft. No live weapons are to be used during the drills, NATO said.

A large support contingent will also operate from Skrydstrup Air Base in Denmark.

The Steadfast Noon drills are about "promoting transparency when and where appropriate, so that our allied populations and the wider world have a good understanding of what we are doing," said Jim Stokes, NATO's Director of Nuclear Policy, in a statement.

According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, "it also sends a clear signal to any potential adversary that we will and can protect and defend all allies against all threats."

Recent days saw tensions rise as Moscow warned the U.S. against providing Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles, an idea publicly floated by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that the missiles could potentially carry nuclear warheads, adding, "What should the Russian Federation think? Just how should Russia react? Military experts overseas should understand this."

Russia has repeatedly issued overt or veiled nuclear threats toward Kyiv and its Western allies during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling in an interview with Fox News on Oct. 12, saying one would have to be "crazy" to launch a nuclear World War III.