Italy to host NATO nuclear exercise Steadfast Noon next week

Italy will host the annual NATO nuclear deterrence exercise, Steadfast Noon, next week, the country's defence ministry said on ⁠Thursday, amid heightened tensions ⁠between Russia and the Western military alliance over the war in Ukraine and security in the ⁠Baltic region.

The exercise is a scheduled annual training drill designed to maintain the readiness of the capabilities and procedures that contribute to the Alliance's deterrence and defence and falls within the framework of NATO's integrated strategic defence, the ministry said in a statement.

No ⁠live ⁠weaponry is used during the exercise and the activities are aimed exclusively at verifying procedures, coordination, and safety standards among Allied forces, it added.

The exercise will begin on October 13 and run for a week. Participation in ⁠Steadfast Noon rotates among allies each year. Italy has previously hosted the exercise six times.

Russia has warned NATO it would be ready to resort to nuclear weapons if the Western alliance attempted ⁠to ‌cut off Kaliningrad, ‌a Russian exclave that ⁠borders the Baltic ‌Sea.

In a document sent to NATO and seen by Reuters, ⁠Moscow accused the alliance of ⁠a "dangerous and reckless course" that entailed "high risks ⁠of the outbreak of a direct armed conflict".