NATO Begins Major Nuclear Exercises in Italy: How Did Russia Respond?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is launching its annual traditional nuclear deterrence Steadfast Noon military exercises on Italian territory. Starting on Tuesday and lasting for a week, these maneuvers will test dual-capable special aviation assets adapted for carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons.
This year's exercises have set a record in terms of scale — with 17 member states participating (for comparison: 13 countries participated in 2024 and 14 in 2025).
New Members, Fighter Jets, and France's Boycott
Forces and participants in the military maneuvers are distributed as follows:
Full Participation of Northern Europe: The alliance's newest members, Finland and Sweden, have confirmed their participation. In addition to personnel, Sweden has sent its renowned JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet;
European Aviation Mobilization: Romania sent F-16 fighters to Italy, Germany allocated three Tornado aircraft, and Turkey and the USA are also participating with full flight crews and technical specialists;
France's Refusal: Paris refused to participate in this year's exercises as it is not part of NATO's nuclear planning group.
Flight Zones and Safety Measures
According to the Italian Sole 24 Ore publication and official alliance data:
Location: The maneuvers will take place near the Aviano and Ghedi airbases in northern Italy, as well as over vast airspaces within the alliance's area of responsibility (in similar 2023 exercises, aircraft flew over Italy, Croatia, and the Mediterranean Sea);
No Live Weapons Used: The Italian Air Force stated that no actual combat nuclear weapons will be used during the exercises;
Pre-planned Event: The alliance emphasized that these flights were scheduled in advance, are not related to current world political events, and are not directed against any specific country.
Moscow's Reaction and Concerns
These NATO actions were met with objections from Russia:
Rising Tensions: The Russian Embassy in Belgium stated that these maneuvers do not help reduce military tensions in Europe, despite statements from alliance officials about "peaceful goals";
Nuclear Mission Risks: The Russian side has consistently expressed concern that the deployment of US tactical nuclear weapons on European territory and the alliance's joint nuclear operations are undermining regional balance.
For information: last year, in exercises held in the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain and Denmark, about 70 military aircraft and over 2,000 military personnel were involved.
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