Drills aimed at ensuring two countries’ military personnel and equipment are ready to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity MOSCOW: Russian and Belarusian troops have started the second stage of tactical nuclear drills in Russia, Russia’s defense ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry said the drills were aimed at ensuring that the two countries’ military personnel and equipment were ready to protect their sovereignty and territorial integrity. “During the exercise, issues of joint training of units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons will be worked out,” the defense ministry said.