Putin’s troops mount ‘dry run’ of nuclear strikes on the West

VLADIMIR Putin brought nuclear war games to the edge of europe yesterday by simulating strikes on capital cities from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

held in the territory sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, the drills came after weeks of terrifying rhetoric from Kremlin propagandists about wiping the UK off the map.

Moscow’s defence ministry confirmed the exercises included nuclear-capable missiles but troops rehearsed firing them without any actual launches.

The ‘dry run’ involved more than 100 soldiers and ‘electronic launches’ of Iskander ballistic missiles.

The crews practised hitting targets including Nato missile systems, airfields and command centres before manoeuvring in a fleet of vehicles to avoid a retaliatory strike on their positions.

The exercises appeared a desperate bid by the Kremlin to maintain the tempo of its sabrerattling, intended perhaps to distract attention from failures on the battlefield.

Its advances in Ukraine’s eastern regions have been limited to companies of just 100 soldiers attacking villages, claiming victory then promptly retreating to avoid a counter-attack.

Russia has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal of around 4,477 warheads and its military doctrine includes using short-range tactical strikes in conflict scenarios such as Ukraine.

In a rage at Britain for its supplan port for Kyiv, President Putin last week promised to use the world’s deadliest weapons in a ‘lightning strike’ against anyone who ‘interfered’ with him.

The editor of the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper, which has been forced to close, suggested the tests were part of a to make the use of such weapons more palatable to the Russian public.

Nobel prize winner Dmitry Muratov said: ‘For two weeks now we have been hearing from our television screens that nuclear silos should be opened.

‘And we also hear from Putin’s propagandists these horrible weapons should be used should the supplies of weapons to Ukraine continue. This would not bring the end of the war but would be the end of humanity.

‘I would not rule out the possibility that nuclear weapons might be used. Because Putin has acquired unrestricted, absolute power. Nobody can possibly stop this decision from being taken, not parliament, not civil society.’

The Kremlin said: ‘As part of the combat training of the Baltic Fleet’s forces in the Kaliningrad region, a simulated missile strike exercise was carried out with the Iskander operational and tactical missile complexes.’

The exercises coincided with military readiness drills conducted by Russia’s neighbour and ally Belarus. Yesterday the regime in Minsk released images of vehicle columns, including tanks, moving into position.

Ukrainian and Western officials had feared Belarusian troops would push south into Ukraine but no such move has happened nor is one expected.

And Belarus despot Alexander Lukashenko appeared to distance himself from Putin yesterday. he indicated that he felt the war in Ukraine was ‘dragging on’ and that using nuclear weapons would be unacceptable.

Tensions in europe have risen sharply since Sweden and Finland announced their intention to join Nato, and as quickly as possible, to deter any Russian attack on their territories.

Putin last night apologised to Israeli PM Naftali Bennett over foreign minister Sergei Lavrov saying hitler was part-Jewish.

‘The end of humanity’