Russia will hold a major nuclear drill tomorrow involving live-fire exercises of ballistic and cruise missiles including around Crimea and the Black Sea, the Kremlin has announced.
The exercise, which will be overseen by Vladimir Putin himself, will involve Russia’s aerospace forces, its strategic missile command, Northern and Black Sea fleets and the Southern Military District – which covers Crimea and part of the border close to rebel-held areas in Ukraine.
It is designed to test the ‘readiness’ of commanders and troops as well as ‘the reliability of weapons of strategic nuclear and non-nuclear forces’ and will involve the launch of ‘ballistic and cruise missiles’, Moscow’s defence ministry said today.
Officials claim the drill is pre-planned, but the timing will spark fears that it is designed to provide cover for an invasion of Ukraine. Experts predict the first phase of a Russian assault will be ballistic missile attacks on border areas, military bases, infrastructure and major cities.
It comes as defence ministers meet in Munich for a security conference that will begin today and continue over the weekend aimed at averting war in Ukraine. Russia will not send a delegation to the summit, marking the first time in years that it has not attended.
Click here to read more.
Source: Daily Mail
BCNN1 WP 