Trucks with intercontinental ballistic missiles traversed forest roads, nuclear-powered submarines set sail from Arctic and Pacific ports, and crews boarded their fighter jets this Thursday, in the final stage of one of the largest Russian strategic nuclear exercises in recent years, carried out jointly with its ally Belarus.
An intercontinental ballistic missile Yars during the exercises of the Russian nuclear forces in Belarus, part of the three-day maneuvers that involved 64,000 troops and more than 200 missile launchers. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)Russian strategic missile launchers move through forest paths during the three-day nuclear exercises,
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the maneuvers involved 64,000 personnel, more than 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface ships and 13 submarines, eight of them armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. The exercises focused on “the preparation and use of nuclear forces under the threat of aggression”. A Borei-class nuclear submarine sails during strategic exercises, one of the 13 submersibles that participated in the three-day maneuvers launched on Tuesday. A video released by the Defense Ministry showed strategic missile launchers advancing through forests, submarines and warships in maneuvers — including the frigate Admiral Gorshkov —, Ilyushin Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft and MiG-31 fighters equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles.A Russian MiG-31 fighter jet with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile during nuclear exercises, one of the most prominent images from the video released by the Ministry of Defense to showcase Moscow’s offensive capabilities. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
The images also show military personnel removing the protective cover from a Kinzhal before attaching it to the aircraft fuselage.We recommend reading:Nicaragua’s link with Russia and China worries Washington
Warheads in Belarus and the Oreshnik system
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko inspected joint nuclear exercises in the Asipovichy district on Thursday, where he stated about the nuclear-capable Iskander missiles: “I dreamed of this machine a long time ago.” (Belarusian Presidential Press Service via Reuters) “As part of the nuclear forces exercise, **nuclear munitions were delivered to the storage facilities** of the missile brigade’s position area in the **Republic of Belarus**,” the Ministry of Defense reported.Russian arsenals in Belarusian territory include the Oreshnik missile system, the most recent Russian intermediate-range development with nuclear capability. The Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, inspected this Thursday the short-range ballistic missiles Iskander with nuclear capability in a military unit participating in the maneuvers. “I dreamed of this machine a long time ago”, he declared.
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A “signal” for the West
Russian Navy personnel during strategic nuclear exercises, which involved 73 surface ships and 13 submarines, eight of them armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.The Kremlin acknowledged that the maneuvers function as a message. Asked whether the exercises were a signal to Europe and NATO, presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov replied: “Any exercise is part of military development, and any military exercise is a signal”.
A pilot in the cockpit of a MiG-31 fighter during Russian nuclear exercises, a key aircraft for deployment because it is equipped to carry Kinzhal hypersonic missiles with nuclear capability. Throughout the conflict in Ukraine — which is entering its fifth year — President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly resorted to reminders of Russian nuclear power as a warning to the West not to deepen its military support for Kyiv. In 2024, Putin adopted a revised nuclear doctrine that establishes that any conventional attack against Russia backed by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack against the country. The doctrine appears to significantly lower the threshold for the possible use of the Russian nuclear arsenal and also placed Belarus under Moscow’s nuclear umbrella. Putin has said that Russia will retain control of the nuclear weapons deployed on Belarusian territory, but will allow its ally to select the targets in the event of a conflict.The Context: Ukrainian Drones and Friction with NATO
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned this Thursday from Sweden that many countries in the Alliance are not contributing enough to military aid for Ukraine and proposed allocating 0.25% of each member’s GDP, an initiative that faces resistance. The exercises coincide with an intensification of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory, including the suburbs of Moscow, where three people recently died and several buildings and industrial facilities were damaged. The attacks have undermined the Kremlin’s narrative that presented the war in Ukraine as a distant conflict and alien to the daily lives of Russian civilians. Tension with European NATO countries also escalated this week. On Wednesday, the Kremlin called the statements of Lithuanian Chancellor Kestutis Budrys, who argued that the Alliance should demonstrate to Moscow its ability to penetrate the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, which houses the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet and is heavily militarized, as “bordering on dementia.” In parallel, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned this Thursday from the Swedish city of Helsingborg that many members of the Alliance are not contributing enough to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian invasion.You can also read:Nicaragua authorizes extradition and prisoner transfer agreements with Russia
“Aid is not distributed equitably within NATO,” Rutte said before a meeting of the Alliance’s foreign ministers, mentioning the efforts “above their weight” of Sweden, along with Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark and Norway.
