Putin: Russia will maintain its nuclear forces at the necessary level.

According to the news from the CCTV News Client, on the designated date, personnel and equipment from Russia's strategic deterrence forces and land, sea, and air units conducted exercises, during which ballistic and cruise missiles were actually launched. Russian President Vladimir Putin watched the exercises and delivered a speech via video link on the same day.

Putin stated that Russia has no intention of engaging in an arms race, but will maintain its nuclear forces at necessary levels. Given the increasingly tense geopolitical situation, new external threats and risks have emerged. It is crucial to possess modernized and ready strategic forces.

Putin stated that the use of nuclear weapons is an "extremely special last resort" for Russia to ensure national security, and the "triad" nuclear forces remain a reliable guarantee for Russia's sovereignty and security. They can address Russia's strategic deterrence issues and are an objective factor in maintaining global stability through nuclear parity and balance of power.

Putin stated that Russia's modernized nuclear weapons deployment rate has reached approximately %. The Russian side will, according to the plan, update the strategic rocket forces' weaponry with new fixed and mobile missile launch systems, which will "possess higher precision, shorter launch preparation times, and more accurate anti-missile capabilities."

Russian Defense Minister Belousov revealed that during the exercise, the Russian strategic deterrence forces launched an "Yars" intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the northwest of Russia towards the Kura Test Range on the Kamchatka Peninsula, and ballistic missiles "Sineva" and "Bulava" were launched from nuclear submarines in the Barents Sea and the Okhotsk Sea, respectively. Additionally, Tu-long-range strategic bombers conducted cruise missile launches. Belousov stated that all tasks set for the exercise were completed, and all missiles hit their targets.

Russia launches an intercontinental ballistic missile during strategic nuclear forces exercise

According to the message released by the Russian Defense Ministry on a specific date, during the strategic nuclear forces exercise of Russia, the Russian military launched an "Yars" intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome towards the Kura range on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Russian nuclear submarine "Grand Duke Oleg" in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Russian nuclear submarine "Novomoskovsk" in the Barents Sea launched "Sineva" and "Bulava" intercontinental ballistic missiles from underwater. Additionally, the Russian Tu- long-range strategic bomber completed the mission of launching air-launched cruise missiles during the exercise.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a strategic nuclear forces exercise of the Russian military via video link from the Kremlin in Moscow.