President Vladimir Putin took a leading role in the latest tests of Russia’s strategic nuclear arsenal, the most comprehensive since the 1991 Soviet collapse, the Kremlin said Saturday.
The exercises, most of which were held Friday, featured prominently in state television news reports that seemed aimed to show Russians and the world that Putin is the hands-on chief of a resurgent power.
Tests involving command systems and all three components of the nuclear “triad” — land- and sea-launched long-range nuclear missiles and strategic bombers — were conducted “under the personal leadership of Vladimir Putin,” the Kremlin said.
An RS-12M Topol Intercontinental Ballistic Missile was launched from the Plesetsk site, in northern Russia, and a submarine test-launched another ICBM from the Sea of Okhotsk, the Defense Ministry said.
Long-range Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers fired four guided missiles that hit their targets on a range in the northwestern Komi region, it said.
“Exercises of the strategic nuclear forces were conducted on such a scale for the first time in the modern history of Russia,” the Kremlin statement said.
“Vladimir Putin gave a high evaluation to the combat units and crews and the work of the Armed Forces General Staff, which fulfilled the tasks before them and affirmed the reliability and effectiveness of Russia’s nuclear forces.”
The exercises included tests of communications systems and “new algorithms” for command and control, it said.
Russia says that it is modernizing a nuclear arsenal that was largely created during the Cold War and that it will continue to use nuclear weapons as a key deterrent.
In the 2010 New START treaty, Russia and the United States set lower numerical ceilings on the weapons tested in the exercise.
But Putin has made it clear that further cuts depend on, among other things, Washington’s assuaging his concerns about its missile defenses, including a European shield, which Russia says will make it more vulnerable.
Russian and American leaders say nuclear war between the Cold War rivals is now unthinkable.
But critics say Putin, who has been in power since 2000 and is back as military commander in chief since his return to the Kremlin in May after four years as prime minister, is exaggerating potential threats from the West to bolster support at home.
Related articles:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.