Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw the training of Moscow's strategic deterrence forces, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
The drills are the latest in a series of escalatory comments from Moscow and Putin -- who observed the drills from a control room -- that the eight-month conflict in Ukraine could turn nuclear.
"Under the leadership of... Vladimir Putin, a training session was held with ground, sea and air strategic deterrence forces, during which practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles took place," a Kremlin statement said.
Russian state-run media ran footage of a submarine crew preparing the launch of a Sineva ballistic missile from the Barents Sea in the Arctic.
— Tamara (@tamara_tamisa) October 26, 2022
#russia CONDUCTED TEST LAUNCHES OF NUCLEAR-TIPPED BALLISTIC MISSILES at the Kura test site.#StopRussiaNOW #UkraineRussiaWar #StandWithUkraine #SupportUkraine #StopPutin #StopRussia #RussiaInvadedUkraine #RussiaIsATerroristState #Ukraine #russian #PUTIN pic.twitter.com/wzkNj7gsge
The drills included launching test missiles from the eastern Kamchatka peninsula and from the Barents Sea in the Arctic.
The strategic forces are tasked with responding to nuclear threats. Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of preparing to use a "dirty bomb" containing nuclear material, and Russian officials have on multiple occasions reminded the West of Moscow's nuclear arsenal in response to Western support for Ukraine.
Early last week, NATO carried out its own nuclear deterrence drills in Belgium, the UK and the North Sea. The alliance said the exercises were a "routine, recurring training activity" and weren't "linked to any current world events."
