Putin orders exercises of Russian nuclear forces
Moscow (EFE).- Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered exercises of the strategic nuclear deterrent forces this Tuesday to rehearse the launches of ballistic and cruise missiles.
“We will train the actions of commanders to control the use of nuclear weapons with the launch of ballistic and cruise missiles,” Putin said during a statement broadcast on Russian television.
Putin stressed that, “Taking into account the increase in geopolitical tensions and the emergence of new external threats and risks, it is important to have modern strategic forces that are permanently ready for use in war.”
He stressed that the nuclear triad – intercontinental missiles, nuclear submarines and strategic aviation – “remains a reliable guarantor of the sovereignty and security of our country, allowing us to fulfill the tasks of strategic deterrence.”
Furthermore, he said, it also allows “to maintain nuclear parity and the balance of forces in the world as objective factors of global stability.”
use of nuclear weapons
At the same time, Putin assured that “Russia confirms its principled position that the use of nuclear weapons is an extreme and exceptional measure to guarantee security.”
The head of the Kremlin stressed that Moscow wants to continue improving all components of its nuclear arsenal within the framework of the state rearmament program, for which it has significantly increased defense spending since the beginning of the war in Ukraine .
He explained that this would include the supply of new stationary and mobile missile systems to strategic forces that are more accurate and also require less time to launch.
“And, which is very important, with greater possibilities of overcoming anti-missile defense systems,” he said, referring to the US shield.
However, he assured that, although Russia intends to strengthen its nuclear forces with modern weapons – currently this indicator is 94% –, it does not intend to get involved in a “new weapons war” as the Soviet Union did. It happened with.
Late last July, Russia held joint tactical nuclear maneuvers with Belarus using Iskander-M ballistic missiles.
Recently, Putin announced amendments to the current nuclear doctrine after the West considered allowing Ukraine to use long-range weapons against targets on Russian territory.
The new doctrine contemplates the use of nuclear weapons in the event of a conventional attack that threatens the sovereignty of Russia and Belarus.
Negotiations for the signing of New START between Russia and the US are currently stalled, which expires in 2026 and is the last strategic disarmament treaty between the two superpowers.