Vladimir Putin orders military commanders, Kremlin staff to start 'doomsday nuclear drill'

In a stark reminder to his adversary of Moscow’s strategic nuclear might, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered the Kremlin officials to kick start the nuclear war evacuation drill in an apparent threat to the West, and the Alliance. Putin has put “doomsday” planes including Ilyushin Il-80 Maxdome on standby, a Telegram channel linked with the Russian presidency said in several disturbing claims, adding that the embattled ex-Soviet ruler has moved close allies, family, into an underground city in Siberia, purportedly a nuclear bunker in the Altai Mountains.

Putin then ordered his military commanders and top advisors to “get ready” for drills with the so-called fleet of “flying Kremlins,” the Ilyushin Il-80 Maxdomes that replaced soviet’s Il-80s. 

Putin's threats of 'consequences world never experienced in history..'

The development comes after the disgruntled Russian leader, angry over the stalled advances of his military operation, put his nuclear forces on "special combat readiness" earlier. He warned the world, US, EU, and allied nations to NATO of "consequences that they have never experienced in history.” Several claims emerged inking war to Russian leader’s mental state to a suspected oncological condition, though such health deterioration aspects remain unverified.  

Kremlin’s nuclear drill comes just days short of America’s sorties during ongoing war in the early weeks of March wherein $200m “doomsday plane” designed to act as a flying control centre during the nuclear conflict were sent on a four-hour training sortie. Modified Boeing 747 with the call sign “GORDO15” flew out of the US Air Force base in Nebraska. Washington has a fleet of “Nightwatch” command-and-control Boeing 747 E4-B aircraft dedicated to conducting operations since the 70s specifically during a nuclear war threat. These aircraft, spotted on a mission training, are equipped with an electromagnetic pulse that is resistant to a nuclear blast. 

Implementing its doctrine of "escalate to deescalate,” Putin soared war tensions for the West as he shocked his inner circle of Kremlin officials over starting massive drills of its strategic nuclear forces as his forces continued to rage fierce assaults in civilian populous cities of Kyiv. 

In this photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Russian nuclear submarines Prince Vladimir, above, and Yekaterinburg are harboured at a Russian naval base in Gazhiyevo, Kola Peninsula, Russia. Credit: AP

Russian Tu-160 strategic bomber fires a cruise missile at test targets, during military drills, Russia. Credit: AP

Russia President 'personally' supervised nuclear exercise

Russian President had also earlier, during the course of the invasion, personally supervised a nuclear exercise involving multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles off the Belarusian coast. He sat at the long table in Defense Ministry’s situation room and watched nuclear deterrent forces’ manoeuvres aimed at gauging readiness of Russia's military command and reliability of its nuclear and conventional weaponry.

In an apparent post published on the Telegram channel, General SVR said that Russian leader Putin, in a worrisome step, ordered the senior political figures to confirm their readiness to participate in the nuclear drill. Kremlin officials were “warned on behalf of the president that, perhaps in the near future, they will participate in practising evacuation in case of a nuclear war,” a source linked to Kremlin told Mirror. 

Russian nuclear submarine breaks through the Arctic ice during military drills at an unspecified location. Credit: AP

“All who were contacted with this warning were seriously surprised and concerned about this initiative by the President,” the official who spoke on condition of anonymity said. “But all, without exception, confirmed their readiness to participate,” he went on to say. “The general mental state of Vladimir Putin has recently caused alarm among people in the president's inner circle.”

Furthermore, the notification on the channel read: “The only person who might trigger Armageddon is Putin.” Russia’s intent for nuclear warfare manoeuvres came as the waring nation logged 17,000 casualties, including 12,949 service personnel during the intense battle in Ukraine. Moscow, since its invasion on Feb. 24, has used threats of nuclear weapons that it warned might be used in conventional warfare what it justified would be to protect Russia’s territorial integrity and deter NATO’s eastward expansion, a looming threat to its own national security. 

A long-range Tu-22M3 bomber of the Russian Aerospace Forces takes-off to patrol in the airspace of Belarus, from an airfield in Russia. Credit: AP

Putin’s decision to deploy the tactical nukes was attributed to his in-furious mental state after Russia heaved a barrage of western sanctions that crippled its economy. Russia’s leader “often pours his anger out on those close to him,” the Telegram channel claimed, adding that he attended a meeting with Saint Petersburg governor at the Kremlin. The platform linked the information to an ex-Kremlin intelligence insider, which it claimed retains “close links to those in Putin’s circle.” Russia’s Putin has also resorted to having 'moved his family to a 'secret underground city' with the Kremlin's doomsday plan, channel further adds. 

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