Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday took part in the training of strategic deterrence forces, i.e. troops tasked with responding to threats, including in the event of a nuclear war, via video conference, the Kremlin announced, quoted by AFP and EFE.

“Under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, strategic deterrence exercises were conducted for land, sea and air forces, as well as practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

During the exercises, the first since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, a “massive nuclear launch by offensive strategic forces in response to an enemy nuclear strike” took place, Russian Defense Minister Serhiy Shoigu said.

Shoigu, who addressed Putin as “comrade” and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, briefed the Russian president on the maneuvers, which lasted just a few minutes.

The directions from which the ballistic missiles were launched

Russian forces launched ballistic and cruise missiles from the Tula nuclear submarine and two Tu-95MS strategic bombers, as well as land-mobile Yars intercontinental missile systems, which were launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

Also, Sineva ballistic missiles were launched from the Barents Sea, in the north of the European part of Russia, towards the Kura Ridge on the Kamchatka Peninsula, which is washed by the Pacific Ocean.

The exercises codenamed “Thunder” are aimed at testing the level of readiness of the command centers of the nuclear forces, the Kremlin said in a statement.

“The tasks set at the strategic deterrence exercise were fully accomplished, all missiles reached their targets,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Russian “strategic” forces, in their broadest definition, are designed to respond to threats, including nuclear war. They are equipped with intercontinental range missiles, long-range strategic bombers, submarines, surface ships and naval aviation.

According to the Pentagon, Russia informed the US of its plans on Tuesday, which coincides with NATO’s Steadfast Noon nuclear drills, which have been held every year for the past decade.

Defense Department spokesman General Pat Ryder said that “with these communications, Russia is fulfilling its arms control and transparency obligations.”

Five days before the start of the “military special operation” in Ukraine, Putin attended a training of nuclear forces using hypersonic weapons, which, according to the Kremlin, can bypass any modern anti-missile shield in the world. In addition, on February 27, the Russian president put his nuclear deterrent forces on alert, which raised concerns in Ukraine and the West about the possible use of nuclear weapons.

After offering the West a moratorium on the deployment of missiles in Europe, the Kremlin warned that if the United States deploys offensive weapons on the European continent, Russia will direct its missiles to the territory of the United States.

Putin recently warned that Russia will use its entire arsenal to defend its territorial integrity and the four annexed Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Luhansk (in the east), Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions (in the south). (Source: Agerpres)