An announcement regarding the nuclear weapons strategy of Russia was made to the international community by the Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms control of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia retains its right to deploy nuclear weapons anywhere on its territory, including the Crimean Peninsula.
Russia has enhanced its military presence in Crimea after its annexation of the peninsula last spring. The Kremlin has recently sent more military units to the region, such as squadrons of fighter jets, air defence missile units, coastal defence missile units and electronic warfare units. However, it is the first time that a Russian official mentions the possibility of the deploying nuclear weapons on the Crimean Peninsula.
Two months earlier, during snap combat readiness exercises, Russia sent ten Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bombers to Crimea, which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
The Russian announcement for a possible deployment of nuclear weapons in the Crimean Peninsula provoked the reaction of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Pavlo Klimkin. According to Klimkin, the deployment of nuclear weapons in Crimea would be a most serious breach of Russia’s international commitments, running counter to numerous agreements, including those for nuclear non-proliferation.
“In this case”, Klimkin said, “the international community will need to react most decisively.”