Russia conducted large-scale nuclear drills involving ICBMs and strategic bombers while the planned Putin-Trump summit on Ukraine was postponed. Kremlin officials emphasised that the exercises were pre-planned and aimed at testing nuclear command protocols.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday directed large-scale exercises of the country’s strategic nuclear forces, including practice missile launches. The drills coincided with the postponement of his planned summit on Ukraine with US President Donald Trump.ย According to the Kremlin, the exercises involved all components of Russia’s nuclear triad. A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was test-fired from the Plesetsk launch facility in northwestern Russia, while a Sineva ICBM was launched from a submarine in the Barents Sea. Tu-95 strategic bombers also fired long-range cruise missiles as part of the manoeuvres. The Kremlin stated that the exercise tested the skills of military command structures. Gen Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, reported to Putin via video link that the drills were intended to simulate “procedures for authorising the use of nuclear weapons.”
Timing amid US-Russia diplomatic developments
While Putin emphasised that the manoeuvres had been planned in advance, the drills came just hours after President Trump announced that his proposed swift meeting with Putin in Budapest was on hold. Trump said he did not want the summit to be a “waste of time.”
The decision followed a call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov made it clear that Russia opposes an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Trump has shifted positions throughout the year on key conflict issues, including the timing of ceasefires and Ukraine’s ability to reclaim territories seized by Russia.
Kremlin response
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the Putin-Trump summit requires thorough preparation. “No one wants to waste time: neither President Trump nor President Putin,” Peskov told reporters. “These are the two presidents who are accustomed to working efficiently with high productivity. But effectiveness always requires preparation,” he added.ย
(With inputs from AP)
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