Russian president Vladimir Putin oversaw Russian nuclear exercises Wednesday as part of an annual drill known as “Grom.” The drills featured nuclear submarines, ballistic missiles, and long-range strategic bombers.
According to Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu, the drills sought to simulate a retaliatory Russian nuclear strike. Russia activated a host of its military capabilities to respond to that sort of surprise attack. A Russian “Yars” inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) was launched 500 miles north of Moscow and successfully reached its target, the Kremlin noted.
The exercises don’t appear to have rattled Ukrainian leaders, though. “My personal opinion is that Putin won’t use nukes,” Ukrainian defense minister Oleksiy Reznikov said.
The military exercise comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine which has seen Russia experience numerous setbacks in recent months.
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Despite Russian rhetoric boasting of conquering and assimilating several Ukrainian enclaves into the federation, Russian forces are losing in the south and east. Ukraine has reportedly recaptured several villages in two territories Russia recently purported to annex.
Perhaps as a result of these battlefield defeats, Russian leaders have continued to warn through its state media outlet that Ukraine is currently developing a “dirty bomb.” “We know about the plans to use the so-called dirty bomb for provocations,” Putin said Wednesday, repeating the claim. Shoigu has called on China and India to investigate these allegations.
Putin repeatedly stated that Russia remains ready to use “all means available” to defend against any attack on Russian territory, including using its nuclear arsenal. President Biden warned Tuesday ahead of the Grom drill that any Russian introduction of nuclear weapons would be an “incredibly serious mistake.”
Russia informed the United States of the drill in accordance with the New START treaty. NATO is set to hold a similar drill, known as “Steadfast Noon” very shortly featuring over a dozen participating countries as well as 60 aircrafts.