Russia continues nuclear-capable weapons drills involving strategic missile forces, fleets

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday that the country’s armed forces continue exercises involving nuclear-capable weapons systems.

As part of the drills, formations and military units of the Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific Fleets, Long-Range Aviation, as well as the Leningrad and Central military districts, carried out measures to prepare for combat missions involving missile launches, the ministry said in a statement.

Mobile ground-based strategic missile systems were deployed along combat patrol routes and positioned at field deployment sites, it added.

Meanwhile, nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines moved to designated maritime training areas to conduct combat duty missions, the ministry noted.

Personnel of Aerospace Forces aviation units participating in the exercises are also practicing the loading of special warheads onto Kinzhal aeroballistic hypersonic missiles and conducting flights to assigned patrol areas, according to the ministry, it said.