Putin takes part in military exercises
President Vladimir Putin has taken part in major military drills by Russian nuclear forces and personally directed the test-firing of four intercontinental ballistic missiles as part of the exercises, the Kremlin said yesterday.
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the drills on Thursday involved all elements of the military’s nuclear triad — nuclear submarines, strategic bombers and a land-based launcher. Peskov said the exercises were routine and not directly linked to any international developments.
Commander
Still, the President’s direct involvement in overseeing intercontinental ballistic missile launches is an event that has been rarely reported by the Kremlin in the past.
Peskov wouldn’t elaborate on what specific part Putin played in the war games, saying the President “took the necessary moves in line with the standard procedure for relevant situations as the commander in chief”.