President Vladimir Putin has ordered significant strategic nuclear exercises across Russia, involving intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and strategic bombers. These large-scale drills commenced concurrently with the postponement of a planned summit between Putin and US President Donald Trump, which was intended to address the conflict in Ukraine. Kremlin officials have stressed that the military maneuvers were scheduled well in advance and served to evaluate the nation’s nuclear command and control protocols. During the exercises, a Yars ICBM was successfully launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, and a Sineva ICBM was deployed from a Barents Sea submarine. Strategic bombers, including Tu-95s, also participated by launching long-range cruise missiles. The Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, reported directly to President Putin, confirming the drills’ objective was to test ‘procedures for authorizing the use of nuclear weapons.’ The timing of these exercises, however, draws attention amidst ongoing diplomatic shifts between Russia and the United States regarding Ukraine. The summit’s delay followed a conversation between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which Russia reiterated its stance against an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. President Trump cited the potential for the meeting to be unproductive as the reason for the postponement, emphasizing the need for thorough preparation for effective dialogue.
