MOSCOW: Russia said on Tuesday its military held a major nuclear exercise under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin, who recently called for changes to rules on the use of Moscow’s nuclear deterrent.
This was the second such military exercise that Russia has held in two weeks, underscoring Moscow’s readiness to wield its nuclear capabilities at a critical point in the Ukraine conflict.
The exercise took place at a time when Russian forces intensified their operations in eastern Ukraine, while the West evaluating options for bolstering Ukrainian defenses. The Kremlin said that Putin directly supervised the training, which included live ballistic and cruise missile launches.
In a televised announcement, Putin said, “We will work out the actions of officials to control the use of nuclear weapons with practical launches.” He said that using nuclear weapons remains an “extremely exceptional measure.” However, he emphasized the need for Russia’s nuclear arsenal to stay at “the level of necessary sufficiency,” while pledging ongoing improvements without engaging in a new arms race.
The exercise involved an intercontinental ballistic missile launched from Kamchatka, with additional missiles fired from a submarine in the Barents Sea and another location in the Sea of Okhotsk, all reaching their intended targets, according to Russia’s defence ministry.
The ministry also released footage via TASS of a missile launch at Plesetsk cosmodrome in Russia’s far north, demonstrating the reach and readiness of Moscow’s strategic deterrent force.
These drills follow an October 18 exercise in Tver, which featured Russia’s Yars intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of striking US targets. They align with recent amendments Putin approved to Russia’s official nuclear doctrine, expanding the conditions for a nuclear response.
The revised doctrine allows Russia to consider any large-scale conventional attack supported by nuclear power as a combined assault, a move seen as a veiled warning to the US and NATO allies supplying Ukraine with advanced weaponry.
Putin’s latest drills come as Ukrainian authorities are seeking approval from Washington to deploy long-range missiles against Russian targets, a request the US has hesitated to grant. The Pentagon, however, on Monday said that it would not restrict Ukraine’s use of American-provided weapons if North Korean military units reportedly sent to western Russia support Moscow’s war efforts.
Earlier, NATO confirmed that North Korean troops are stationed in the Kursk region. Russia remains the largest nuclear power, holding 88% of the world’s nuclear arsenal along with the United States, whose officials note no observed shift in Russia’s nuclear posture thus far.
Putin, cautioning against Western influence, claimed that “new external threats and risks” necessitate a modernized and ready nuclear force. He hinted at the potential inclusion of new stationary and mobile-based missile systems designed to reduce launch preparation time and overcome advanced missile defences.
US President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump warned about the risk of a direct NATO-Russia confrontation. Both Biden and Trump, along with other officials, have emphasized the dangers of a nuclear confrontation, which Putin said could involve the implementation of his newly expanded nuclear doctrine should tensions with NATO intensify further.
