Putin supervises training of Russian nuclear forces

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin personally supervised the training of the nuclear forces on Wednesday, a Kremlin statement said.

"Under the direction of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, a training exercise of the strategic nuclear forces was conducted, involving their ground, naval, and air components," the statement read.

During the exercise, practical launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and air-launched cruise missiles were carried out.

"An intercontinental ballistic missile, the Yars, was launched from the Plesetsk State Test Cosmodrome, hitting the Kura test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula. A Sineva ballistic missile was launched from the strategic nuclear-powered submarine Bryansk in the Barents Sea," it said.

The Tupolev Tu-95MS long-range aircraft were also involved in the exercise, performing launches of air-launched cruise missiles, according to the readout. "The management of the practical launches was carried out from the National Defense Management Center of the Russian Federation."

The exercise assessed the proficiency of the military command bodies and the practical skills of the operational staff in organizing the command and control of subordinate forces, the statement said, adding: "All objectives of the training exercise were completed."

Strategic weapons refer broadly to the primary armament of Russia's armed forces, centered around strategic and tactical nuclear arms. Often referred to as the nuclear triad, these include land-based missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers.