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| - While the FBI was conducting large-scale, nuclear-response training in January 2025 alongside multiple other U.S. government agencies, it was not in preparation for World War III, as many on the internet claimed. The training has occurred biannually in the U.S. since 2012.
On Jan. 28, 2025, multiple outlets and social media accounts spread the claim that the FBI was conducting "large-scale," nuclear-response training; several such claims tied the training to concerns about a looming World War III. One outlet explicitly said that the FBI was preparing for WWIII in New York.
There was some truth to the claim. The FBI, alongside the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies, was conducting large-scale, nuclear-training exercises in Schenectady, New York, from Jan. 26-31, 2025. However, these exercises have taken place biannually since 2012 and were not in response to any particular world events.
https://x.com/FBIAlbany/status/1883174983502876861
Sarah Ruane, spokesperson for the FBI, noted via email: "This exercise is not being conducted in response to any recent or ongoing world events and planning began back in the spring … I cannot stress enough that this is a regularly planned and executed training exercise."
The FBI posted a news release on Jan. 24, 2025, detailing the training. The release stated:
From January 26-31, 2025, a large-scale, multi-agency nuclear incident training exercise will take place in the vicinity of Schenectady, New York, and surrounding counties of Albany, Saratoga, and Schenectady. The training exercise will not pose any risk to area residents; the public does not need to be alarmed by training-related activity, including the presence of military personnel and aircraft, and people in protective equipment.
The Departments of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and state and local partners will conduct the exercise in several areas of Schenectady and Albany, Saratoga, and Schenectady Counties as part of a series of regularly scheduled U.S. government biannual exercises. Similar trainings have been conducted in various regions across the United States since 2012.
In sum, because the FBI was indeed conducting nuclear-response training in January 2025, we rate this claim true. However, the U.S. government regularly conducts such training, and it was not in response to any recent or ongoing world events.
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