Putin Launches Nuclear Drill Amid Rising Tensions with the West

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday a large-scale exercise involving the country’s nuclear forces. This drill, simulating a nuclear counterattack, included the launch of multiple missiles from land, sea, and air platforms as tensions between Russia and the West continue to rise.

During a video address to military leaders, Putin explained the purpose of the exercise: testing Russia’s nuclear capabilities in the event of an attack.

“In light of escalating geopolitical tensions and the emergence of new external threats and risks, it is imperative for us to have modern strategic forces in a state of constant combat readiness,” President Putin said as he announced the exercise.

The exercise involved Russia’s complete nuclear “triad,” comprising ground-, sea-, and air-launched missiles. As part of the drill, Russia launched a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk testing site, targeting the Kura training ground in Kamchatka. Additionally, ballistic missiles were launched from nuclear submarines: the Sineva and Bulava were fired from the Novomoskovsk submarine in the Barents Sea and the Knyaz Oleg submarine in the Sea of Okhotsk. Long-range Tu-95MC bombers also participated, launching air-based cruise missiles as part of the simulation.

Russia’s National Defence Control Centre coordinated these launches, assessing the readiness of both military command structures and the capability of senior personnel to manage forces under their command.

“We fully recognize that the nuclear triad remains a solid pillar of our country’s sovereignty and security,” Putin said. “It enables us to achieve strategic deterrence objectives and uphold nuclear parity and the balance of power globally, which are key factors underpinning global stability.”

This drill takes place as tensions around the Russia-Ukraine conflict continue to escalate. Russia has repeatedly warned the West of severe consequences if the United States or NATO allies enable Ukraine to fire longer-range missiles into Russian territory. Moscow contends that such moves would put NATO at risk of direct confrontation with Russia. President Putin has previously stated that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied, long-range weaponry would essentially drag NATO into the conflict, raising the risk of open war between Russia and the alliance.

For months, Ukraine has requested approval to strike military targets within Russian territory using U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), capable of reaching up to 300 kilometers (190 miles). However, Washington remains cautious, working to support Ukraine without escalating to direct conflict with Moscow.

Russia, with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal at around 6,257 warheads, maintains a policy allowing the use of nuclear weapons in specific scenarios. These include an attack on Russia or its allies involving nuclear or mass destruction weapons or a conventional attack that threatens the country’s existence.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, President Putin has made multiple veiled threats regarding Russia’s nuclear capabilities. Early in the invasion, he warned that any Western intervention would lead to “consequences they have never seen.” Just after the offensive began in February 2022, he ordered Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces to be put on high alert, prompting concerns about potential nuclear escalation – a move that the United States, the world’s second-largest nuclear power, strongly condemned.