Putin conducts a major nuclear missile exercise involving 3,000 soldiers, in a show of strength for the West
- Putin conducts war games with the Yaris intercontinental ballistic missile system
- Putin aims to make the Yaris missile system part of Russia’s ‘indomitable weapons’
Vladimir Putin conducts major nuclear missile exercises involving 3,000 soldiers in a show of force for the West.
The forces of the Russian autocrat are conducting war games using the “invincible” Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system in three regions of Russia.
A video clip shows the Yaris missile system – which replaced the Topol – in exercises amid its war against Ukraine and high tension with the West.
“In all, more than 3,000 military personnel and about 300 pieces of equipment are taking part in the exercises,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
The exercises include a comprehensive control check of the Strategic Missile Forces of the Omsk Missile Formation along with a command and personnel training with the Novosibirsk Missile Formation equipped with Yars systems.
The Russian autocrat’s forces are conducting war games with the ‘invincible’ Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system in three regions of Russia.
In the photo: the launch of the Yaris intercontinental ballistic missile system in October 2022
The ministry said that during the exercises, the Yaris mobile systems will conduct maneuvers in three Russian regions, without specifying the regions.
The Strategic Missile Men will implement a set of measures to camouflage and counter modern air reconnaissance means in cooperation with the formations and units of the Central Military Region and the Air Force.
Putin has sought to make the Yaris missile system part of Russia’s ‘invincibility’ and the mainstay of the ground-based component of its nuclear arsenal.
There are a few proven tactical and technical characteristics of the Yars ICBM, which is said to have an operational range of 7,500 miles which means it could be capable of striking both Europe and the United States.
The missile is being fully deployed in contrast to Putin’s hypersonic missile – also called the Satan-2 – which appears to be subject to delays after failing to meet a deployment deadline of the end of 2022.
The systems can carry multiple independently targeted nuclear warheads and can be mounted on truck carriers or deployed in silos.
The war games in western Siberia follow Putin’s announcement that he will deploy nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.
The exercises include both the Novosibirsk and Omsk missile forces, which are equipped with the intercontinental ballistic strategic Yaris system.
“The Strategic Missile Forces Command Committee will assess cohesion between personnel while carrying out their tasks,” the ministry said.
The exercise includes a comprehensive control check of the Strategic Missile Forces for the Omsk Missile Formation along with a command and personnel training with the Novosibirsk Missile Formation equipped with Yars systems.
The systems can carry multiple independently targeted nuclear warheads and can be mounted on truck carriers or deployed in silos.
RS-24 Yars – modification of the Topol-M missile – is a Russian strategic missile system with a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile.
“The missile regiment, under the command of the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, has begun to bring out the Yaris missile system for combat patrol routes and field positions,” said Yevgeny Kilgaev, commander of the missile regiment.
Since launching the invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Russia has conducted many military exercises on its own or with other countries, such as China or South Africa.
It has also increased military exercises with Belarus, which borders both Russia and Ukraine, and has conducted a series of comprehensive exercises over the past year.
Belarus said it decided to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons in response to Western sanctions and what it said was a military build-up by NATO members near its borders.
