MOSCOW, May 9. /TASS/. Russia warns its opponents that their escalation policy forces Moscow to enhance nuclear deterrence measures, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday.

"We warn our opponents that their course towards escalation will, of course, prompt the need for us to take steps that actually mean enhancing deterrence measures. The drills of practicing the skills of employing non-strategic nuclear weapons are an element of these efforts," the senior Russian diplomat said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported earlier that the General Staff had launched preparations for drills with missile formations of the Southern Military District jointly with aircraft and naval forces. As the ministry specified, the drills will practice a set of measures of readying and employing non-strategic nuclear weapons.

The drills will come as a response to inflammatory statements and threats by some Western officials, it said.