Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko have completed monitoring the military exercises of the strategic deterrence forces. This was announced on Saturday, February 19, by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
It is noted that the heads of state observed the course of the maneuvers from the Kremlin situation center. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to the Russian leader that launches of hypersonic missiles "Zircon" and "Dagger" were carried out at the exercises, TASS writes.
It is noted that the military exercises involve the Northern and Black Sea Fleets, as well as the Aerospace Forces (VKS) of the Russian Federation and Strategic Missile Forces.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that the planned exercise of the strategic deterrence forces will be held under the leadership of Vladimir Putin. It was noted that the maneuvers were planned to check the readiness of military command bodies, launch combat crews, crews of warships and strategic missile carriers to perform their tasks, as well as the reliability of weapons of strategic nuclear and non-nuclear forces.
Also on Saturday, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the Guards missile cruiser Moskva, performed artillery firing in the Black Sea as part of the exercises of the naval forces. As reported in the fleet, artillery complexes were used to repel the attack of the air attack of a conditional enemy who tried to launch a missile strike at the bases of the fleet forces.
On February 12, it was reported that more than 30 ships were taking part in the large-scale exercises of the Russian Black Sea Fleet that had begun. It was noted that the purpose of the exercises is to work out the defense of the Crimean sea coast, the bases of the Black Sea Fleet, as well as the objects of the country's economy and maritime communications from possible military threats of a conditional enemy.
