MOSCOW (HPD) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday attended exercises by the country’s strategic nuclear forces launching cruise and ballistic missiles, the Kremlin said.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Putin that the exercises were intended to simulate a “massive nuclear attack” in retaliation for a nuclear attack on Russia. Russia conducts the exercise at a time of heightened tension with the West due to the invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin said in a statement that all assigned tasks were accomplished and the test missiles hit their targets.
Washington has said that Moscow informed it in advance about the exercises.
Moscow has warned of an alleged Ukrainian plan to detonate a radioactive device known as a “dirty bomb” in a false flag attack to blame Russia. Ukraine and its allies have strongly rejected the accusation.