MOSCOW (AP) 鈥� Russia on Tuesday began massive maneuvers of its featuring practice launches of nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles in drills that come amid surge in .
The three-day exercise will involve 64,000 troops, over 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface warships and 13 submarines, including eight armed with nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Defense Ministry said.
The maneuvers will focus on the 鈥減reparation and use of nuclear forces under the threat of aggression,鈥� the ministry said.
The drills will also practice cooperation with Belarus, a neighbor and ally that hosts Russian nuclear weapons. Russian arsenals in Belarus include its latest intermediate range nuclear-capable missile system.
The maneuvers come as Ukraine has sharply intensified its drone attacks against Russia, including a weekend barrage on Moscow’s suburbs that killed three and damaged several buildings and industrial facilities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly reminded the world about Moscow鈥檚 nuclear arsenals after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to try to deter the West from ramping up support for Kyiv.
The recent attacks have made it harder for officials in the Kremlin to cast 鈥� now in its fifth year 鈥� as something so distant that it doesn鈥檛 affect the daily routines of Russian civilians.
The exercise unfolded as Putin on Tuesday is starting a two-day
Last week, he praised a successful test launch of the new Sarmat ICBM, which is set to replace aging Soviet-built nuclear missiles.
In 2024, Putin adopted a noting that any nation鈥檚 conventional attack on Russia that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country. That threat was clearly aimed at discouraging the West from allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with and appears to significantly lower the threshold for the possible use of Russia鈥檚 nuclear arsenal.
Russian hawks long have urged the Kremlin to respond to the growing Ukrainian attacks by striking Kyiv鈥檚 allies in Europe with conventional weapons, arguing that European NATO members wouldn鈥檛 dare to retaliate and enter a direct military conflict with the world鈥檚 largest nuclear power.
Last month, the Defense Ministry published a list of factories in Europe that it said were involved in producing drones and their components for Ukraine. It warned that attacks on Russia involving drones manufactured in Europe are fraught with 鈥渦npredictable consequences.鈥�
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
