Russian mass media, referring to the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, spread manipulative articles that "200 tactical nuclear munitions of the USA are stationed" in Europe, which "pose a threat" to Russia and Belarus. It is stated that Russia and Belarus are "obliged to ensure their security in this regard." The materials also shift the blame for Russia's aggressive policy to the North Atlantic Alliance: "The current crisis was provoked by the NATO countries that declared themselves a nuclear alliance."

According to the StopFake fact-checkers, Russian President Vladimir Putin resorted to manipulating facts, declaring the "threat" of a nuclear attack by NATO countries. Unlike senior Kremlin officials, NATO has never threatened Russia with the launch of warheads. For example, in May 2022, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmytro Medvedev, announced the "possibility of the conflict with NATO turning into a nuclear war." On June 12, the spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, directly threatened a nuclear strike on Poland.

Without further context, Putin's statement of 200 tactical nuclear warheads stored in Europe can seem threatening. However, the Russian president, thinking about the "security" of his country, deliberately did not say how many similar warheads are in Russia's arsenal. According to NATO analysts, Russia's tactical nuclear arsenal exceeds the US stockpiles in Europe by about ten times. According to the estimates of NATO experts, as of 2020, there are 1,500 to 2,000 nuclear warheads in Russian storage facilities, compared to 150-200 American free-fall bombs, which are in special storage facilities in Europe.