Russia presses on with nuclear-capable weapon drills

Russia’s armed forces are continuing large-scale exercises involving nuclear-capable weapons systems, the Defence Ministry announced on Thursday. The drills include formations from the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific Fleets, Long-Range Aviation, and the Leningrad and Central military districts, all carrying out measures to prepare for combat missions involving missile launches.

Strategic deployments and submarine operations

Mobile ground-based strategic missile systems have been deployed along combat patrol routes and positioned at field deployment sites, the ministry stated. Meanwhile, nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines have moved to designated maritime training areas to conduct combat duty missions. The exercises underscore Moscow’s focus on maintaining strategic readiness amid heightened tensions with NATO over the Ukraine war and the Iran conflict.

Kinzhal hypersonic missile preparations

Personnel from Aerospace Forces aviation units are also practising the loading of special warheads onto Kinzhal aeroballistic hypersonic missiles and conducting flights to assigned patrol areas. The Kinzhal, one of Russia’s advanced hypersonic weapons, has a range of over 2,000 kilometres and can carry nuclear or conventional warheads.