Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw strategic nuclear forces exercises from the Kremlin on Wednesday, which, according to footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry, included the deployment of long-range ballistic missiles and coordinated land, sea, and air drills. The footage shows Putin taking a seat next to his Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov to remotely direct the so-called “Russian nuclear readiness test.”
During the broadcast, Belousov reported on the operation, while Gerasimov detailed for Putin the components of the exercise, which tested the nuclear chain of command for the possible authorization and deployment of nuclear weapons. “The exercise is intended to test the order authorizing the deployment of nuclear weapons. Practical actions will be carried out by the Yars mobile missile systems at the Plesetsk cosmodrome, the Bryansk strategic submarine of the Northern Fleet in the Barents Sea, and Tu-95MS strategic bombers from the Ukrainka air base,” Gerasimov said, according to footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry.
The test included the launch of a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, the firing of a Sineva missile from a nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea, and the flight of strategic bombers equipped with nuclear-capable cruise missiles. The Kremlin said in a statement that all objectives of the exercise were successfully completed and that the drills “verify the level of preparedness of military commanders and the skills of operational personnel in organizing and controlling subordinate forces.”
The exercise came just a day after the United States announced the postponement of a long-awaited summit between Putin and President Donald Trump, which was scheduled to take place in Hungary in the coming weeks. Diplomatic sources confirmed that the postponement was due to difficulties in reconciling the positions of Moscow and Washington on the conflict in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “the dates have not yet been set” and that preparations for the summit required additional time.
During the night, Russian forces launched more than 400 drones and nearly 30 long-range missiles, including Kinzhal ballistic and hypersonic missiles, many of which hit residential areas of kyiv, causing at least six deaths and several injuries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently reiterated his call to Western allies to reinforce the Patriot anti-missile systems after new Russian drone and missile attacks caused civilian casualties and massive power outages in his country. According to the latest military report, Ukrainian forces managed to neutralize most of the drones and missiles launched, but several impacts hit essential infrastructure and residential areas.
Meanwhile, Trump justified the postponement of the meeting with Putin by stating that he “doesn’t want a useless meeting” and suggested that both sides “go home and take a break,” in statements reported by journalists at the White House. The suspension of plans for the summit coincided with the start of Russian nuclear exercises, which Western analysts believe serves the Kremlin to reinforce its image of strength and project a deterrent threat, especially in the weeks before the European winter, when energy infrastructure is once again a priority target for Russian attacks.
NATO nations, for their part, also hold annual nuclear exercises known as Steadfast Noon, involving dozens of F-35A and B-52 aircraft from thirteen countries, based in Belgium and the Netherlands. The symbolic competition over nuclear preparedness underscores the centrality of the deterrent factor at a time of fragile negotiations and recurring attacks on Europe's eastern front.
