Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has visited the Arctic island known for its nuclear tests amid fears the Kremlin would defy the West by resuming military atomic tests.

Shoigu’s trip to Novaya Zemlya, a remote Arctic archipelago, comes amid massive warfare exercises by Vladimir Putin’s Northern Fleet, involving 20 warships and more than 8,000 soldiers.

It is the first time the defense minister has visited him since Putin ordered Russia to be ready “if necessary” to carry out new nuclear tests for the first time since 1990 in the Soviet era.

The aggressive move fuels deep east-west tension over the Kremlin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s regular threats to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict.

A defense source is on record as saying: ‘The task of preparing to resume nuclear testing that has been assigned by the Russian president will certainly be accomplished.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (accompanied by Alexey Likhachev) has visited the Arctic island famous for nuclear tests.

Putin has ordered Russia to be ready “if necessary” to carry out new nuclear tests for the first time since 1990 in the Soviet era. In the photo: Russian troops conducting military exercises in the Arctic.

Shoigu’s trip to Novaya Zemlya, a remote Arctic archipelago, comes amid Vladimir Putin’s Northern Fleet show-of-force war games involving 20 naval ships and more than 8,000 soldiers. Pictured: Drills taking place in the Arctic

‘The Novozemelsky proving ground has always been kept ready for testing.’

Shoigu “inspected the remote Arctic garrisons of the Northern Fleet” and “in particular, verified the organization of official activities in Novaya Zemlya,” the state news agency RIA Novosti reported today.

It is significant that he was accompanied by Alexey Likhachev, General Director of ROSATOM, the State Nuclear Power Corporation of Russia.

It follows reports earlier this week that Shoigu’s daughter Ksenia, 32, was forced to part ways with her ‘pacifist’ partner Alexey Stolyarov, 33, after pressure from Putin.

Meanwhile, ‘a detachment of (naval) ships from the Northern Fleet went to sea to settle problems in the arctic zone.’

Shoigu’s visit followed a call by the former head of Putin’s space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, to restart banned tests at Novaya Zemlya.

“We must make sure that (the West’s) buttocks start to shake with fear,” he said.

“I would start…I would, and I wouldn’t wait for the Americans,” he said in May.

‘Carry out nuclear tests now on Novaya Zemlya.’

Vyacheslav Solovyov, scientific director of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, said: “There is a special program to maintain the readiness of the test site.”

Some 130 nuclear tests were conducted at Novaya Zemlya from September 21, 1955 to October 24, 1990.

The aggressive move fuels deep tension between East and West over the Kremlin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. In the photo: Shoigu visiting Novaya Zemlya

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspects the Arctic garrisons of the Northern Fleet

Some 130 nuclear tests were conducted at Novaya Zemlya from September 21, 1955 to October 24, 1990. These included 88 atmospheric, 3 underwater, and 39 underground.

Putin this week began exercises in the Arctic ostensibly to protect the Northern Sea Route between Europe and Asia.

“In total, the drills will involve more than 8,000 military personnel, 20 warships, submarines and logistics vessels, five aircraft, up to 50 pieces of military and special equipment from the Northern Fleet’s military forces, formations and units,” he said. a naval source.

“Participants will test different options to exercise command and control of fleet forces while tackling missions to protect the sovereignty of the Russian Federation along the Northern Sea Route.”

This follows the Oceanic Shield 2023 naval exercise in the Baltic Sea in which more than 30 warships and other vessels, 30 aircraft and some 6,000 soldiers participated.

Russia also has plans to expand a garrison on Novaya Zemlya.

Shoigu’s visit is the latest high-profile event for the veteran defense minister whose star seems to be rising in Moscow.

Last month he traveled to North Korea on a four-day visit to search for ammunition and weapons for its war in Ukraine.

Putin this week began exercises in the Arctic ostensibly to protect the Northern Sea Route between Europe and Asia.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said today that Moscow destroyed 20 Ukrainian drones launched over the Crimean peninsula early Saturday.

There were no casualties or damage as a result of the attempted attack, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app. He said that 14 drones were destroyed by air defense systems and six were suppressed by electronic warfare.

It was not immediately clear what was the target of the reported attacks on the Russian-annexed peninsula.

Sergei Kryuchkov, adviser to the Russian-installed governor of Crimea, earlier said air defense systems were compromised in repelling air strikes on different parts of the peninsula.

Crimean transport authorities said on their Telegram channel that traffic on the Crimean Bridge, which links the Black Sea peninsula with Russia’s Krasnodar region, was suspended for about two hours from 1:30 a.m. (22: 30 GMT).

Drone strikes on Russian-controlled territories in Ukraine and inside Russia have increased since a drone was destroyed over the Kremlin in early May.

Ukraine rarely takes public responsibility for the attacks, but has said that destroying Russia’s military infrastructure is crucial to kyiv’s counteroffensive.

Yesterday, a Russian defense plant was evacuated after a huge explosion at the site sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky, billowing over nearby buildings.

The explosion at the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant also initially sparked reports of a drone strike, but this was quickly denied by Russian officials.

A huge mushroom cloud was seen over the plant in Sergiyev Posad, 46 miles northeast of Moscow. A witness said ‘the whole plant is in ruins’.