The three-day joint exercises between Russia and Belarus on the readiness of nuclear forces ended today with the launch of two types of intercontinental missiles and two hypersonic missiles. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko watched the launches via video conference. The Russian Defense Ministry, quoted by Interfax, specified that a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome on the Kura range, in Kamchatka.
From the Barents Sea, a strategic nuclear submarine launched a Sineva intercontinental missile and a frigate a Zirkon hypersonic carrier with the Chizha range targeted. Finally, a Mig-31 jet launched a Kinzhal hypersonic missile. For their part, Belarusian forces launched a ballistic missile with the Iskander-M system from the Kapustin Yar site. Around 65,000 soldiers, 200 launchers and eight strategic submarines took part in the exercises.
Putin: “No arms race, nuclear power guarantees sovereignty”
Russia “has no intention of getting involved in an arms race”, but will maintain its nuclear arsenal “at the level of necessary sufficiency” on the basis of what “was planned decades ago”. President Vladimir Putin said this while watching the launch of missiles as part of nuclear exercises via video conference together with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. «Given the growing tensions in the world and the emergence of new threats and risks – underlined Putin, quoted by Tass -, our nuclear triad must continue to serve as a reliable guarantor of the sovereignty of Russia and Belarus, ensuring the tasks of strategic deterrence and maintaining nuclear parity and the global balance of power».