The Russian military began large-scale nuclear exercises on Wednesday at the behest of President Vladimir Putin, alongside Russia’s Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, and Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov.
The Russian military utilized land, sea, and air elements in their exercises; missiles were launched from land-based silos and submarine divisions, while heavy aircraft were also utilized in the exercises.
Gerasimov announced those who participated in the exercise in a statement that included the Yars mobile ground-based strategic missile system located at the Kura test site in Kamchatka, Russia’s north-easternmost state, the Tula strategic missile submarine of the Northern Fleet, as well as two Tu-95MS long-range heavy bombers.
The Kremlin reports that the Russian military launched both ballistic and cruise missiles, which consisted of an intercontinental ballistic missile launched from the Yars complex, Sineva ballistic missiles launched from the Tula nuclear submarines located in the Barents Sea, and two Tu-95MS missiles.
The Kremlin further reports that exercises were not only to test the quality of the weaponry used but also to test and showcase “the level of training of military command and control bodies, the skills of the military leadership, as well as the operational staff in organizing the management of subordinate troops.”
The Kremlin ended their statement by claiming that all objectives were “completed in full.”
