Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces on Wednesday conducted comprehensive drills under the watchful eye of President Vladimir Putin according to the Defense Ministry.
“During the training, practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles and cruise missiles took place,” according to a statement.
The drills come hours after Russia moved to revoke its ratification of a landmark nuclear test ban treaty.
Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers on Wednesday approved a bill revoking the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
The upper house Federation Council unanimously approved the bill to abandon the landmark agreement outlawing nuclear weapons tests on Wednesday.
The lower house State Duma passed it in an accelerated vote last week.
The legislation now only needs the signature of President Vladimir Putin to come into effect.
Putin said on October 5: “I hear calls to start testing nuclear weapons. I am not ready to say whether we really need to conduct tests or not.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said earlier this month that Moscow will continue to respect the ban and will only resume nuclear tests if the US does so.
However, he noted on Wednesday that the US conducted a chemical explosion at its test site in Nevada.
While Washington said the test would help it “detect” low-yield nuclear explosions, Ryabkov told the Federation Council that the blast was “undoubtedly a political signal”.
“As our president said, we must be on alert, and if the United States moves towards the start of nuclear tests, we will have to respond here in the same way,” the official said.
The US stated earlier this month that it was “disturbed” by Russia’s move to revoke ratification of the treaty.
“A move like this by any state party needlessly endangers the global norm against nuclear explosive testing,” the US State Department said.
Russia should not be “wielding arms control and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric in a failing attempt to coerce other states”, the State Department added, appearing to suggest that the move was aimed at pressuring the US and other countries who are supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces.
