Vladimir Putin oversees drills simulating a massive nuclear strike on the West
In a development that will send shockwaves through the West, Putin was seen watching as military personnel pushed the button - literally - to launch a series of strikes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered drills simulating a massive nuclear strike on the West last night.
In a troubling development that will send shockwaves through Europe and the US, Putin was seen watching on as military personnel pushed the button - literally - to launch a series of strikes.
One clip showed a Russian soldier pressing a button to launch a Yars ballistic missile.
Other footage - shown on Russian television - showed a TU-95 bomber firing cruise missiles and a submarine unleashing an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The annual exercise was codenamed ‘Grom’ - meaning ‘Thunder - and was to practice how Moscow would respond to an attack on its own soil, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
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“Under the leadership of... Vladimir Putin, a training session was held with ground, sea and air strategic deterrence forces, during which practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
State television showed Putin overseeing the drills from a control room. The drills included launching test missiles from the Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East and from the waters of the Barents Sea in the Arctic.
The exercises also involved Tu-95 long-range aircraft, the statement said.
“The tasks envisaged during the training of the strategic deterrence forces were completed in full, all missiles reached their targets,” the Kremlin said.
Russian “strategic” forces are meant to respond to nuclear threats. They are equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as long-range strategic bombers, submarines, surface ships and naval aviation.
The drills come amid Russia’s continued offensive in Ukraine and after Moscow repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons.
Moscow informed Washington, DC, of its intention to stage the drills on Tuesday.
The Russian exercise comes amid claims from Moscow that Ukraine is plotting to detonate a radioactive device - or ‘dirty bomb’ in its own territory in a false flag operation to blame Russia.
Ukraine slammed Russia on Sunday over the claims, calling them “dangerous” lies and prompting Western allies to warn Moscow against using any pretext for escalating the conflict.
Ukraine and its Western allies swiftly dismissed Moscow’s allegations, with the United States, Britain and France issuing a joint statement on Sunday rejecting Russia’s “transparently false” claims.
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