Russia: Putin oversees country's nuclear drills alongside Belarusian President Lukashenko

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin alongside his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko supervised major drills of his country's strategic nuclear forces. The drills were observed by the Presidents of Russia and Belarus from the Defense Ministry's situation room, according to the ministry. The drills serve as a striking reminder of the country's nuclear capabilities, amid Western concerns that Moscow is planning an invasion of Ukraine. "Under the command of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin, a planned strategic deterrence forces exercise was undertaken, which included ballistic and cruise missile launches at the Kura training area on the Kamchatka Peninsula," the Kremlin said in a statement. 

Russia's Aerospace Forces successfully fired Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles in the midst of tensions between Moscow and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union (EU), and the West. Furthermore, Russian Northern and Black Sea Fleet warships and submarines fired Kalibr cruise missiles and Zirkon hypersonic missiles at sea and land targets. Meanwhile, a realistic launch of the Iskander ground-based cruise missile was carried out in the Astrakhan region at the Kapustin Yar training ground, according to a release by the Russian President's office.

Russian forces launched a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile at the Kura test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula from the position area of the Plesetsk state test cosmodrome. Air-launched cruise missiles fired from Tu-95ms long-range strategic missile carriers hit targets at the Pemboi and Kura ranges. The Russian Defence Ministry said that the drills were planned a long time ago to test the military command and personnel's readiness, as well as the effectiveness of Russia's nuclear and conventional weapons. 

Russia condemns deployment of US and allies' troops to Eastern Europe

Earlier this month, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, stated that Moscow strongly condemns the deployment of US and allied forces in Eastern Europe as a move in the wrong direction that could lead to crises. "We strongly condemn the deployment of American and allied soldiers to Eastern Europe. We believe that these are steps in the wrong direction that, rather than defusing tensions, will exacerbate them and could lead to crises that we all want to avoid," he added, as per Sputnik news agency. Polyanskiy also warned that the deployment of about 175,000 US troops in Eastern Europe, as well as the positioning of NATO's military infrastructure near Russia's borders, have caused serious concerns in Russia.

Image: ANI