TSAMTO, May 22. On May 21, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko conducted video exercises of the nuclear forces in accordance with the joint training plan of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.
As part of the second stage of the nuclear forces exercises involving ground, sea and aviation components, practical launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic and air-launched cruise missiles were carried out.
The Yars intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Plesetsk State test cosmodrome at the Kura test site in Kamchatka. From the Barents Sea, the crew of the frigate launched the Zircon hypersonic missile at the Chizha test site, and the crew of the strategic nuclear-powered submarine launched the Sineva intercontinental ballistic missile from an underwater position.
From the Kapustin Yar test site, the calculation of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus carried out a practical launch of a ballistic missile from the Iskander-M operational and tactical missile system.
The training involved long-range Tu-95MS aircraft, which launched air-launched cruise missiles, as well as a MiG-31I aircraft, which launched a Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
All tasks have been completed in full.
The missiles reached their targets, confirming the set characteristics, according to the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Summing up the results of the exercises, Vladimir Putin noted that "it is important to further improve the level of training of strategic and tactical nuclear forces and develop all their components."
Below is the final speech by V.Putin's statement is provided by the Kremlin's press service.
"At the same time, we do not intend to get involved in an arms race. Our nuclear triad will remain at the level of necessary sufficiency. We are doing everything that was planned decades before, decades exactly. We are working as planned, clearly, smoothly, and, thank God, everything is working out for us.
As part of the state armament program, we plan to equip the Strategic Missile Forces with new fixed- and mobile-based missile systems.
As you know, the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, which has high tactical and technical characteristics and is capable of overcoming all modern and promising missile defense systems, has recently been successfully tested.
We will continue to integrate modern nuclear-powered submarines into the Navy, and new and upgraded strategic bombers into the Aerospace Forces.
Of course, we will increase the combat readiness of other types and branches of the armed forces, and work out combat training tasks based on the experience of a special military operation, including joint training and maneuvers this year. Among them, I would like to highlight the exercises of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the CSTO "Interaction-2026" on Russian territory and the CSTO peacekeeping forces "Indestructible Brotherhood-2026" on the territory of Belarus.
In addition, next year we plan to hold operational exercises of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia "Shield of the Union-2027".
Such systematic and consistent steps are necessary to strengthen the defense capabilities of our countries and to reliably protect the citizens of Russia and Belarus from potential threats from all directions.
And I would like to emphasize the well-coordinated work of our Belarusian colleagues and friends, partners, and allies. Both bomber aircraft capable of carrying special charges, and medium-range weapons, the Iskanders, which were currently being used, were used competently and coherently. This is of great importance when using weapons of this kind. Because every minute, every second is important here. To work out the interaction, events of this kind are held, like today, joint exercises.
Alexander Grigorievich, thank you very much for your participation, thank you for the training of your military personnel, and for your willingness to work together. And I ask the Russian Defense Minister to convey, as I have already said, his best words and words of gratitude to the servicemen who took part in today's exercise."
