MOSCOW, August 1. /TASS/. Russian troops practiced receiving training munitions and deploying to designated areas at the third stage of tactical nuclear weapon drills, the Defense Ministry of Russia reported on Thursday.

"As part of the third stage of non-strategic nuclear forces, the personnel of missile formations of the Southern and Central Military Districts and aviation units of the Aerospace Forces involved in the drills practiced receiving special training munitions and deploying to designated areas and began equipping missile launchers and aircraft with them," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on July 31 that Russian troops would exercise to practice the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons at the third stage of the drills involving units and formations of the Southern and Central Military Districts and the Aerospace Forces.

"The third stage of non-strategic nuclear drills has begun in accordance with the Russian president's decision. The exercise is aimed at training units of the Russian Armed Forces in the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. At this stage, troops from the missile units of the Central and Southern Military Districts will train to obtain special training ammunition for Iskander-M missile systems, equip launchers with them and covertly advance to designated areas to carry out electronic missile launches," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that the Aerospace Forces personnel involved in the drills would train to load aircraft with special warheads and make sorties to designated patrol areas.

As the Russian Defense Ministry specified, the goal of the exercise is to maintain the combat readiness of troops and equipment from Russia’s combat units armed with tactical nuclear weapons.