Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on Wednesday from the Kremlin land, sea, and air maneuvers of Russian nuclear forces.
“The exercises were conducted under the direction of the supreme commander of the Russian armed forces, Vladimir Putin”, the Kremlin said in a statement.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Putin about the progress of the exercises, in which the TU-95 strategic bombers participated.
Massive nuclear attack in response
During the maneuvers “a massive nuclear attack on strategic offensive forces in response to an enemy nuclear attack,” he explained.
Instead, a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile, with a range of up to 12,000 kilometers launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome which is located almost 800 kilometers north of Moscow.
The missile was launched towards the Kura range on the Kamchatka Peninsula, more than 6,000 kilometers from the launch site.
In addition, the nuclear-powered submarine Tula launched a Sineva ballistic missile from the Barents Sea, in the Arctic Ocean.
“The missions that reflect the maneuver program have been completed in their entirety,” according to the Kremlin.
The exercises coincided with the decision on Wednesday by the Russian Senate to approve the bill revoking the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
This happened because of the need to restore nuclear parity in the US.
Russia argued that it was forced to take this step due to the need to restore nuclear parity with the United States, which has not ratified the CTBT for 23 years.
This was emphasized by the Russian authorities The withdrawal does not mean the Kremlin will resume nuclear tests at least for now, because “the moratorium remains” in effect.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergei Ryabkov, revealed this Wednesday that Moscow received a proposal from the United States to continue the dialogue on strategic stability and arms control.
He explained that Moscow is not ready to continue the dialogue without changes in the “deep and fundamental hostile policy of the United States towards Russia.”
Last February, Russia suspended compliance with START III, the last nuclear disarmament treaty still in force between Russia and the United States.
