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The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, directed this Wednesday from his office in the Kremlin maneuvers of the country’s nuclear forces using their components on land, sea and air.
This exercise, which is being carried out for the second consecutive year, served the same purpose of checking Russia’s response capacity to a possible nuclear attack, although Putin had previously led the launch of ballistic missiles, such as on February 19 of the year. last, a few days before hostilities with Ukraine began.
“Our strategic offensive forces launched a massive nuclear strike to respond to an enemy nuclear attack,” summarized Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who detailed that this time ballistic and cruise missiles were tested, as well as atomic submarines and two strategic bombers. -95MC, among other weapons in its nuclear arsenal.
From the Plesetsk cosmodrome, for example, a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was launched targeting the Kura range on the Kamchatka Peninsula, 6 thousand kilometers away, while the Tula nuclear-powered submarine fired a Sineva ballistic missile from the Barents Sea, in the Arctic Ocean.
Long-range Tu-95MS aircraft also fired cruise missiles.
“Under the leadership of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin, training of the land, sea and air forces integrated into the nuclear deterrent forces was carried out,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
According to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, these exercises consist of simulating “the launch of a massive nuclear attack by strategic forces in response to an enemy nuclear attack.”
His ministry released images on Telegram showing a missile rising into a night sky enveloped in a halo of light, as well as a bomber taking off from a runway.
Russian public television broadcast a short excerpt showing Putin listening to Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valéri Gerasimov’s report after the maneuvers.
Russian nuclear doctrine provides for a “strictly defensive” use of atomic weapons, in the event of an attack on Russia with weapons of mass destruction or aggression with conventional weapons “that threaten the very existence of the State.”
Source: La Jornada and AFP
