Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday that the country would prioritise constructing nuclear forces’ infrastructure in 2023.
Shoigu stated on national television that Russia will work to enhance the combat capabilities of its missile forces and that infrastructure is being built to accommodate new missile systems. Nearly 6,000 nuclear warheads are stored in Russia, making it the country with the largest nuclear arsenal.
Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia’s “territorial integrity,” which includes the Ukrainian territory that Russia has seized. In case Russia uses nuclear weapons, the United States claims to have warned them of the dire consequences.
New START talks between Russia and the United States, which limit the number of warheads each country can deploy, were scheduled to take place this week in Cairo.
On the eve of the meeting, however, Moscow abruptly backed out, accusing Washington of toxic anti-Russian behaviour and of trying to use the treaty to advance American interests.