The Russian government has recently confirmed that it conducted a rehearsal of a large-scale nuclear assault, marking a significant event in its military exercises. The drill was designed to simulate the response to an adversary’s nuclear attack, as disclosed by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. This high-level discussion was broadcast on State TV, where Shoigu was shown recounting the details of the rehearsal to Vladimir Putin, the Russian President.
This enormous display of power comes strategically as the Russian parliament approves the withdrawal of the nation’s ratification of a worldwide pact banning physical testing of nuclear warheads. It should be noted that sibling superpower state, the United States, and Russia habitually perform these nuclear readiness simulations, with Russia typically conducting theirs late in October.
Shoigu comprehensively informed President Putin that this year’s exercises involved the enactment of a large-scale nuclear offensive by strategic force in response to a nuclear attack by an enemy state. The Kremlin’s announcement stated that the exercise had involved the “practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles”.
Specifically, a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from a testing location in the far east of Russia. Meanwhile, a submarine located in the Barents Sea launched another missile, which added to the comprehensive and strategic execution of the test. Images and video related to the testing were publicly released by the department of defence.
Earlier in the month, President Putin publicized that Russia had successfully completed its final testing phase of a nuclear-powered cruise missile, first announced in 2018. According to the President, this weapon could potentially have unlimited range, although no independent verification supports these claims.
The timing of these tests, tied with the withdrawal from a global nuclear pact, is perceived as a flexing of power by Russia. Russia’s parliament ratified this withdrawal on Wednesday, with Putin’s encouragement. According to Putin, this move aligns with the United States’ position, which had signed but never ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The CTBT was instituted in 1996 and prohibits any form of nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion across the globe.
Throughout 2021, fears over nuclear warfare intensified significantly following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. Tensions further escalated when Russia allocated a collection of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, confirmed by Putin in June. The President stated these weapons were for defensive purposes and would only be used if Russia’s state or territory was threatened. However, the US government denies any substantive indications of Russia using nuclear weapons to assert control over Ukraine.
