Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, on Tuesday conducted a large exercise of the government’s nuclear forces that included missile launches in a model of a hostile strike as he continued to stretch his country’s nuclear muscle in the midst of growing tensions with the West over Ukraine. Putin said in a statement to military leaders that the training will simulate officials ‘ actions when they use nuclear weapons, and that they will also include the launch of ballistic and cruise missiles.
The workout is intended to exercise” proper offensive forces launching a large nuclear attack in response to a nuclear hit by the enemy,” according to defense minister Andrei Belousov. Putin said Russia’s nuclear army remains a “reliable surety of the country’s independence and security”.
As part of the training, the martial test-fired a Yars ICBM from Kamchatka Peninsula. While nuclear-capable Tu-95 tactical bombers practiced launch of long-range cruise missiles, Novomoskovsk and Knyaz Oleg radioactive ships fired ICBMs from Barents Sea and Sea of Okhotsk.
