In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin oversees the joint Russian-Belarusian nuclear weapons drills along with Belarusian President, via a videolink in Moscow on May 21, 2026. | POOL/AFP via Getty Images Key takeaways Ukraine is increasingly launching drone strikes deep into Russia and threatening Russian-annexed Crimea, both steps that many once feared would result in nuclear retaliation from Moscow. Vladimir Putin’s nuclear