NATO to hold annual Steadfast Noon nuclear drills in Italy with 17 members
NATO announced that 17 member states will take part in the annual Steadfast Noon nuclear exercises in Italy from 13 to 23 October. The alliance is simultaneously seeking to reassure Russia that the drills are routine, predictable and not a cause for concern, against a backdrop of recent Russian nuclear warnings, including over Kaliningrad, and European accusations of Russian sabotage and hybrid operations.
Key points
- 17 NATO members will participate in the Steadfast Noon exercises.
- The drills run 13–23 October and are held in Italy.
- NATO says the exercise is routine and predictable, with no cause for concern.
- Russia recently warned it could use nuclear weapons if NATO tried to isolate Kaliningrad.
- Dual-capable aircraft and ground forces will practise loading, refuelling and maintenance; no live nuclear weapons will be used.
- Secretary General Mark Rutte publicly condemned Russia's nuclear threats the previous week.
- European countries accuse Russia of intensifying sabotage and hybrid attacks across the continent.
Why it matters
Steadfast Noon is NATO's principal annual nuclear deterrence drill, signalling allied readiness at a moment of heightened nuclear rhetoric from Moscow. NATO is publicly working to de-escalate fears while Russian statements explicitly contemplate possible nuclear use, including over Kaliningrad. The drills also sit alongside European accusations that Russia is escalating sabotage and hybrid operations across the continent, raising the strategic stakes of routine signalling.
What happened
NATO announced that 17 member states will take part in the annual Steadfast Noon nuclear exercises, scheduled for 13 to 23 October in Italy. The alliance's director for nuclear policy, Nasima Barrazu, said the drills are routine, predictable and give no grounds for concern or miscalculation, and that their purpose is to prepare allied forces and ensure the security of NATO's nuclear deterrent. US Army Colonel David Bull, head of NATO nuclear operations, said the exercise involves the same number of participants as in previous years and covers everything from simulated combat readiness to real-flight training, without the use of real nuclear weapons. A senior NATO military official said dual-capable aircraft and ground forces will participate in loading, refuelling and maintenance procedures. A separate senior NATO official said the alliance's goal is to keep calm while Russia continues to inflame tension.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both Ukrainian-language articles that supplied the material centre the story on NATO's reassurances to Russia and frame Russia's nuclear warnings and hybrid activities as the source of rising tension. The coverage highlights NATO's defensive character and condemnation of Russian rhetoric, while giving prominent space to Russian threats — including the Kaliningrad-related warning — and to Russian accusations that NATO is on a dangerous and reckless course carrying a high risk of direct armed conflict.
Where reporting differs
The two Ukrainian-language outlets spell the name of NATO's director for nuclear policy differently: one renders it 'Nasima Barrazu' and the other 'Naseema Barrooz'.
Background
Steadfast Noon follows NATO's August drills near Russia's Kaliningrad region. After previous NATO exercises, Russia sent the alliance a letter threatening to strike allied territory and referencing its nuclear arsenal. Russia subsequently transmitted a document to NATO stating it could use its full arsenal, including nuclear weapons, if the Alliance attempted to isolate the Kaliningrad region.