MOSCOW, May 21 (Reuters) - Russia on Thursday delivered nuclear munitions to field storage facilities in Belarus and showcased elements of its strategic nuclear forces, as tensions with European NATO members rose over the Ukraine war and drone activity in the Baltic.
Moscow is conducting some of its biggest nuclear exercises in years, involving 64,000 people to drill its forces in "the preparation and use of nuclear forces in the event of aggression".
The three-day exercises, which began on Tuesday across Russia and Belarus, involve the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific fleets, long-range aviation, and units from the Leningrad and Central military districts.
As part of the drills, Russia displayed a Borei-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft, a MiG-31 armed with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile and RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles.
President Vladimir Putin described the use of nuclear weapons as a "last resort" but stressed the importance of maintaining the nuclear triad as a guarantor of sovereignty and strategic deterrence.
A missile unit in Belarus is training to receive special munitions for the mobile Iskander-M tactical missile system, including loading munitions onto launch vehicles, Russia said.
Russian nuclear exercises typically use dummy warheads. One video released by the defence ministry showed a tarp-backed military truck travelling with minimal security, while others showed nuclear submarines, aircraft and warships.
The drills come as Moscow says it is locked in an existential struggle with the West over Ukraine.
Throughout the war, Putin has issued reminders of Russia's nuclear might as a warning to the West not to go too far in its support of Kyiv. Ukraine and some Western leaders have dismissed such moves as irresponsible sabre rattling.
BALTIC TENSIONS ESCALATE
Moscow has accused Baltic countries of allowing Ukraine to fly over their territory to attack northern Russia, an accusation that NATO has denied.
The Baltic states, all strong backers of Ukraine, counter that Russia is redirecting Ukrainian drones into their airspace from their intended targets in Russia.
The Kremlin criticised remarks by Lithuania's top diplomat as "verging on insanity" on Wednesday after Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said NATO had to show Moscow it was capable of penetrating the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Kaliningrad is sandwiched between NATO members Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic coast. It has a population of around one million and is heavily militarised, serving as the headquarters of Russia's Baltic Fleet.
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Lincoln Feast and Ros Russell)
